Khasak’s Arabikkulam gets a fresh lease of life

Renovated Arabikkulam in Thasrak, famous from O.V. Vijayan's Khasakkinte Ithihasam, brings literary history to life.

The Arabikkulam of Thasrak, the pond made famous by legendary Malayalam novelist O.V. Vijayan in his Khasakkinte Ithihasam, has got a fresh lease of life when the O.V. Vijayan Smaraka Samiti came forward to renovate it.

For Vijayan fans visiting Thasrak, hardly 10 km away from Palakkad town, the renovated Arabikkulam by the side of a mosque will now bring a whole load of memories from his magnum opus.

A. Prabhakaran, MLA, inaugurated the renovated pond. “The village Khasak and its Arabikkulam are symbolic of a period of innocence and its people. It has more relevance today especially when some sections are trying hard to spread falsehoods and falsify history,” said Mr. Prabhakaran.

When ₹30 lakh was spent from the MLA fund, the District Panchayat offered ₹20 lakh for the pond renovation. “It is not a mere pond renovation. It is much more. It has brought a wider literary canvas to life,” said O.V. Vijayan Smaraka Samiti secretary T.R. Ajayan.

The renovation has rescued the pond from further deterioration. Though 18 feet deep, the pond was in bad shape with a lot of debris having been dumped into it over the last several decades. Apart from cleaning the rectangular pond, sidewalls were constructed and a turfed promenade built by its side, where the visitors can spend time.

“Sitting by this pond, it brings back memories of Vijayan’s characters taking a dip in the Arabikkulam,” said Mr. Ajayan. “We are building a writer’s village in Thasrak, with eight cottages, five tree huts and a dormitory for 40 people. The work is on,” he said.

Samiti vice-chairman Asha Menon presided over the function. District Panchayat president K. Binumol and District Collector S. Chithra were special guests.