Kerala's rich literary and cultural heritage takes centre stage at IIC Festival in Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 27 (UNI) Kerala's centuries-old traditions of reading, manuscript preservation and artistic expression will take centre stage at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi, with Palms and Parchment: Keralam's Heritage of Reading and Relics, an exhibition bringing together the state's literary and cultural treasures from October 30 to November 3.
Part of the 22nd edition of The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts, the exhibition celebrates Kerala's legacy of literacy, its manuscript traditions and the institutions that have preserved its intellectual and artistic heritage across generations. It will be inaugurated on October 30 at 4 pm by Pooyam Thirunal Gouri Parvathi Bayi of the Travancore Royal Family, with Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee of IIC, as Special Invitee.
The exhibition is being organised in collaboration with the State Central Library, Kerala; the Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library; Sri Chitra Art Gallery; Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery; Kerala State Archives; Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum; and Pusthaka Gramam, the Village of Books at Perumkulam.
Together, these institutions represent different dimensions of Kerala's relationship with the written word: public libraries and reading communities, repositories of palm-leaf manuscripts, historical records, and collections of Indian art. Their participation places the exhibition within a wider story of how knowledge is collected, preserved, transmitted and made accessible.
The State Central Library in Thiruvananthapuram, also known as the Trivandrum Public Library, was established in 1829 during the reign of Swathi Thirunal. The Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library at the University of Kerala preserves an extensive collection of traditional manuscripts, including works written on palm leaves.
The Kerala State Archives safeguards historical administrative records and manuscripts, while the Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum in Thiruvananthapuram is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of this distinctive documentary heritage.
The exhibition also connects the written word with visual culture through the participation of Sri Chitra Art Gallery and Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery, institutions associated with Kerala's rich artistic legacy. Its inclusion of Pusthaka Gramam, Perumkulam, is particularly significant in extending the idea of literary heritage beyond formal repositories to a community whose identity is closely connected with books and public reading.
Kerala's literary culture is also part of the broader social history of education and public access to knowledge. By bringing together libraries, manuscript collections, archives, art institutions and a village of books, Palms and Parchment offers an opportunity to consider the many forms in which a society's intellectual inheritance survives: from fragile manuscripts and historical documents to public institutions and living reading communities.
The exhibition forms a major part of this year's IIC festival, which runs from October 29 to November 3 under the theme Prakriti: Ecology and Existence. The festival explores the relationship between nature, human society and cultural traditions through exhibitions, performances, films, poetry readings and discussions.
Other highlights include Prakriti: Harmonising Inner and Outer Worlds in South Asian Texts and Traditions, with a keynote address by art historian Naman P. Ahuja on tree worship in Indian art; Living Lightly: Journey with the Pastoralists, examining pastoral life and changing landscapes; and Birds of India: Company Paintings c. 1800 to 1835, presented in collaboration with DAG(formerly Delhi Art Gallery).
The performance programme includes Bharatanatyam dancer Alarmel Valli, Baul performer Maa Parvathy Baul, vocalist Kalapini Komkali, rudra veena exponent Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar and Hindustani vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty. Film screenings, panel discussions on conservation and climate change, poetry readings and a regional food festival will round out the programme.
Palms and Parchment: Keralam's Heritage of Reading and Relics will be open to visitors from October 30 to November 3, between 11 am and 7 pm, at the India International Centre.
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