MAGORA Centre opened in Vadavannur village in memory of MGR

The Palakkad Chapter of the nationwide heritage organization, INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage) opened a unique cultural space, MAGORA Cetre in Vadavannur, the village of the legendary actor and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.G. Ramachandran on 17 February 2018.

The Centre, that aspires to be part museum and part performance space, was named MaGoRa, by combining the first three letters of Marudur Gopalamenon Ramachandran (1917- 1987). This project, an initiative of the recently formed Palakkad Chapter of INTACH was inaugurated by Sri A.K.Balan, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala on 17 February 2018, in the presence of Maj. Gen. (Retd) L.K. Gupta, the Chairman of INTACH and other distinguished guests including MGR protégé and the former Mayor of Chennai, Sri Saidai Doraisamy.

The cultural evening that followed the inauguration included a range of performances, most notably of the three puppetry traditions of Palakkad. Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) by Sri Vishwanatha Pulavar and troupe, Paavakathakali (Glove puppetry) by Sri. K.C. Ramakrishnan and troupe, and Noolpaavakkali  (string puppetry)by the Kerala Educational Puppetry Theatre, left the audience enthralled. In addition, students of Sri Kallur Ramankutty Marar conducted a Melam recital, followed by a soulful performance of Sopana Sangeetham by Ranjith Kallekkulangara.   

The main gallery at the museum currently hosts 'Unniyettan's Diaries' an imaginative exhibit developed in partnership with the DJ Academy of Design, Coimbatore that tells the story of MGR's life from a unique Vadavannur perspective. The project team said that creating a fictional contemporary of MGR who lived in the village, allowed them weave in elements of the village's history into the narrative. Running in parallel is a series of striking Black and White portraits of a cross-section of today's Vadavannur residents whose stories connect to the main narrative. These images have been created by Hariharan Subramanian, an award-winning art photographer based in Palakkad.

A second hall hosts a poster exhibition showcasing a diverse range of conservation projects executed by INTACH across the country over a three-decade period.   

According to Arun Narayanan, the Convener of the Palakkad chapter the facility will stay open to visitors for a few hours in the evening every day and will become fully operational by the middle of the year with further development of the exhibits. Meanwhile a series of performances and workshops are also set to start at the centre by the beginning of March.

“The Magora Centre addresses a much-felt gap for a secular space within villages that brings people together around a story that invokes local pride and confidence.” said Arun Narayanan. The INTACH team hopes that, as it evolves, it would also bring tourists to the village and support the local micro-economy.

Location/access: Magora Centre is situated on the main road, about 18km from Palakkad on the way to Kollengode, via Pudunagaram. Kollengode is 6km.

For information/visit: Arun Narayanan, Convener- INTACH Palakkad, Mob: +91- 9873440216