KOCHI: The corporation authorities have completed the preliminary works, including the preparation of the design of the memorial for Mahakavi G Sankara Kurup in the city.
A portion of the funds earmarked for the scrapped Padmasarovaram project will be used for the construction of the memorial.
For the construction of the memorial near Mangalavanam, the corporation will have to shell out a total of around Rs 2.5 crore. The memorial will consist of a wooded area, a lobby, an art gallery, a ‘poet's corner’, a knowledge park, and a ‘tranquility space’.
The project to build a memorial for the first Jnanpith awardee from Kerala had been remaining on paper for more than two decades due to the apathy on the part of authorities.
Sankara Kurup had won the highest literary honour of the country for “Odakkuzhal” an anthology of poems, in 1965.
“In a short span, we have been able to identify land for the project, clear a dispute over the road access to the land and get the design prepared. So, we have completed all the preparatory works for the construction of the memorial. It will be part of the city’s cultural heritage,” said mayor M Anil Kumar, who is taking a special initiative for making the project a reality.
“The corporation council has given its nod for including the project under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) scheme. We are awaiting the approval from the Amrut board for using its funds,” the mayor said.
The wooded area will look like a sacred grove, providing a green cover for the memorial. The area near to the art gallery has been earmarked for landscaping. The ‘poet's corner’ next to it will have books and other things related to the poet. Audio records of his works will also be played in the ‘poet’s corner’.
“Rarely do we get a chance to design a monument. And the fact that we have got an opportunity to design Sankara Kurup’s memorial doubles up our joy. We have given special emphasis on creating an ambience, which is poetic. We have been keen about preparing a design which matches with the atmosphere of Mangalavanam situated nearby,” said architect S Gopakumar of Kumar Group, which prepared the design of the memorial.
Facilities will be provided to people to practise yoga and listen to the music of flute at the ‘tranquility space’.
The plan is to develop the memorial into a cultural hub. It will be also be a venue for various programmes under Art Space for Kochi (ASK) project.
