Enchanting Kerala

KERALA TOURISM NEWSLETTER

Thunchan Parambu, Malappuram

As we observe Vijayadashami Day this month, Thunchan Parambu at Tirur in Malappuram district will again be in the spotlight as people from across the state come here for Vidyarambham or Ezhuthiniruthu, the ceremony in which children are initiated into learning. 
Thunchan Parambu or Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre is the birthplace of Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language. In his own distinctive poetic style, Ezhuthachan rendered the stories of great epics such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. 

The Thunchan Memorial Trust has a Saraswathi Manadapam, a granite structure, an auditorium with a seating capacity of 500, an open-air stage, cottages for guests, a dormitory, a dining hall and two ponds. 

The serene atmosphere of Thunchan Parambu is conducive to the pursuit of knowledge. Recognised as a research centre by the University of Calicut, the place is frequented by students and research scholars for studies in Malayalam and Sanskrit literature. Apart from computer and Internet facility, the research library here has a collection of around 15,000 books and 120 manuscripts. 

The National Manuscript Mission has designated Thunchan Memorial Trust as its Manuscript Resource Centre to survey, document and electronically report manuscripts of North Kerala. 

The Literary Museum is a favourite among visitors to the centre. Set up in October 2008, the museum is one of its kind in any Indian language. The museum depicts the evolution of the Malayalam language and literature through visual clippings, soundtracks, paintings and photographs.

The Thunchan festival, held annually during the first week of February, is a major cultural event in the country. It is also the time when the whole town of Tirur gets immersed in the festival. The five-day festival is attended by eminent writers and scholars. Literary seminars, poetry reading sessions, cultural discourses, dance and music performances are the highlights of the festival. Hordes of people line up along the streets of the town when the iron stylus with which Ezhuthachan wrote his poems is taken out in a grand procession.

Contact
Thunchan Memorial Trust
Thunchan Parambu, Tirur
Malappuram District
Kerala – 676101
Tel: +91 494 242213, 2429666
Email: thunchanmemorial@gmail.com or info@thunchanmemorial.com
Website: www.thunchanmemorial.com