Poet Sugathakumari named ‘Madhavi’ a mango tree which poet O.N.V. Kurup had planted at the N. Krishna Pillai Memorial Samskrithi Kendram in Nandavanam in 2010. At an ONV memorial event organised by the N. Krishna Pillai Foundation on Wednesday evening, she poured water on its roots and uttered the name three times.
“This tree was planted by the hands that wrote hundreds of poems and showered blessings on generations. I am naming this tree after one of his most important female characters,” she said. Film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan named a hall at the children’s library after the late poet. “Let’s hope that this hall becomes a confluence of all the things that our great teacher liked — arts, culture and literature,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan.
He said ONV played a key role in nurturing and keeping alive the N. Krishna Pillai Foundation. “Usually after a few years of active functioning, such organisations lose direction. But ONV and others made sure that it continued to stay relevant,” he said.
Actor Madhu said ONV was omnipresent in the State’s cultural sphere. “There’s no one in the State who would not have heard a line of his poetry. For me, personally, occasions which bring back his memory are frequent. I had the luck to act out many a song written by him, especially the evergreen Manikya veenayumayen ,” he said.
A portrait of the poet was unveiled in the hall which displays photographs of many literary stalwarts. Ezhumattoor Rajaraja Varma, secretary of the foundation, welcomed the guests.
