Sree Narayana Guru Cultural Complex

A dream project by the state government, which intends to pass on the cultural heritage of Malayalam to the generations to come, has got off to a flying start.

The project, initiated by the Department of Culture, envisages establishing 14 cultural complexes —one each in every district. Each of these complexes will be named after a leader, who played a vital role in the renaissance movement of Kerala.

The first among these complexes, named after eminent social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, has now come up in Kollam. The facility, according to the authorities, will serve as a platform for promoting historical and regional literature and other art forms. The project marks a step towards ensuring the timeless existence of true history and unique literature and arts.

To quote the Kollam MLA M.Mukesh, ``It’s a cluster of multiple stages under one umbrella to promote and present diverse cultural events. That’s the Sree Narayana Cultural Complex in Kollam.”

The complex boasts an array of facilities including cinema halls, drama stage, rehearsal halls, solo theatre, seminar hall, black box theatre’, open-air and AV theatres, art gallery memorial hall, library, exhibition venue, classrooms, workshop halls, cafeteria, shops and resting space.

The complex is expected to emerge as a major platform for showcasing the unique heritage and artistic traditions of Kollam. It will be hosting various cultural programmes, exhibitions, seminars, music festivals and workshops etc.

The student community too will be benefited from the complex as a learning platform. The archive in the complex will offer details on the cultural, political, literary, commercial, and industrial traditions of the region as well as the indigenous handicraft. The place will also draw attention as a tourist attraction. Programmes will be staged here throughout the year.

The complex comprises four portions; entrance, exhibition, cafeteria and performance area. Its air-conditioned auditorium can accommodate 247 spectators while the AV theatre has the capacity to hold 203 people at a given point in time.

The black box theatre, meanwhile, can accommodate 54 persons where as the open-air theatre is wide enough to house 600 people. The seating capacity of the seminar hall is 108. The library and the art gallery extend over an area of 5600 square feet and 5000 square feet respectively.

The classrooms will largely turn into a stage for conducting research on the folk arts of the Malabar region. Training sessions on art and culture will be held in the workshop rooms on a regular basis.

The black box theatre, which is completely air-conditioned, will provide the ideal venue for street theatre performances, rehearsals and mimes. The theatre AV theatre, at the same time, can be used for the screening of short films and documentaries.

The complex also comprises a craft museum to showcase handicrafts. Meetings can be organised at the Memorial Hall with a maximum attendance of 100 people. The auditorium features the facilities for staging both small-scale and big programmes and is equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. International conferences and meetings can be held using the facilities in the seminar hall. The open-air theatre also comprises green room facilities.

The black box theatre, which is completely air-conditioned, will provide the ideal venue for street theatre performances, rehearsals and mimes. The theatre AV theatre, at the same time, can be used for the screening of short films and documentaries.

The spacious parking facility in the middle of lush greenery is one of the main attractions of the complex here. Plans are also afoot to prepare a list of programmes to be staged at the complex under the leadership of a curator.

The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) has been tasked with the operation of all 14 cultural complexes. The construction is being carried out at a cost of Rs 56 crore from the KIIFB fund.

The complex at Kollam has been established on 3.5 acres of property at Ashramam. The built-up area is approximately one lakh square feet.