Our excursion to Thasrak- O.V Vijayan Smarakam in Palakkad was a fascinating insight into the life and legacy of the renowned Malayalam writer. At 9:30 we left the school and arrived there at around 10:00 am. The first thing we saw was the incredible photo gallery where I saw many photos of O.V Vijayan. Afterwards, was my favourite part, the excellent session by Arvindakshan sir on O.V Vijayan and Khasakinte Ithihasam. It was difficult for O.V. Vijayan to attend school regularly due to his health issues. So he was tutored at home by the son of his father`s friend who was a college student. Therefore, in the beginning itself, he studied about Shakespeare and Wordsworth. Thasrak is the fabled land mentioned in his famous novel ‘Khaskinte Ithihasam’. Aravindakshan sir then gave a brief description of this book and Thasrak. O.V Vijayan faced a lot of criticism too as many people said that this book was copied from another Marathi novel. This mentally affected him so he wrote another book titled ‘Ithihasathinte Ithihasam’. He was also a great cartoonist, calligrapher and got the Vayalar Award in 1991. After that, we watched a short part of a documentary but as it was not much audible I couldn`t understand it well. Later we visited the cartoon gallery, calligraphy gallery, letter gallery, and another photo gallery all of which were mesmerizing.
At noon we headed to the Mathrubhumi book fair after having lunch and by 3:30 we reached home. Our excursion to Thasrak O.V Vijayan Smarakam was a journey through the pages of Kerala's literary history. The memorial serves not only as a tribute to O.V Vijayan but also as a source of inspiration for generations to come, fostering an appreciation for literature and cultural heritage. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Mujib sir for organizing this memorable trip.
Joshna N, VIII D
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