Museum of Letters a bold statement against attempts to impose single-language identity: CM

Explore the Museum of Letters in Kottayam, India, celebrating linguistic diversity and heritage with unique galleries and a letter tourism circuit.

The Museum of Letters (Aksharam Museum) here is a bold statement against the efforts to confine India to a single-language identity, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.

Inaugurating the first phase of the museum, established by the Department of Cooperation at Mariyappally, near Kottayam, on Tuesday, the Chief Minister emphasised the significance of preserving linguistic diversity. “At a time when languages such as Malayalam are under threat, this innovative museum dedicated to language and literature sends a powerful message to the world—diversity must be preserved through the protection of language and culture,” he said.

According to Mr. Vijayan, unlike traditional museums focussed on artefacts or notable figures, the Museum of Letters takes a unique approach. Spanning 15,000 sq ft upon completion, it will celebrate Kerala’s cultural, linguistic, and literary heritage while also showcasing languages from around the world, establishing itself as a global hub for knowledge and cultural exchange.

The first phase of the museum features four galleries, each with a unique focus. The first gallery showcases the origins of language, while the second gallery explores the evolutionary history of Indian scripts. “This section delves into the impact of invasion and discrimination on various languages, highlighting the complex relationship between Hindi and Urdu in Indian history. The transition of Hindi from the Persian Arabic script to the Devanagari script is examined, shedding light on the societal influences that led to this change,” he said.

The third gallery delves into the history of printing. The first printing press in Kerala was started in Kottayam. The English-Malayalam dictionary was also first printed and published in Kottayam. It is fitting that a gallery that deals with the history of printing is being set up in Kottayam itself. The fourth gallery marks the history of the Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society (SPCS), the Chief Minister added.

The museum also features a letter tourism circuit that connects visitors to key cultural, historical, and heritage sites in Kottayam. The circuit will connect Kottayam’s most iconic cultural, historical, and literary landmarks, including the Kottayam CMS Press, Kottayam Valiyapally, and the Kumaranellur Devi temple, among others.

Minister for Cooperation and Devaswom V.N. Vasavan presided over the event. The Chief Minister also launched the Letter Tourism Circuit project by releasing its brochure.