Kottayam to be turned into mural city

Thiruvananthapuram: Thanks to the efforts of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Kottayam is all set to be transformed into a mural city as 350 painters from across the country will participate in the project. The city is often referred to as the city of "letters, latex and lakes", and will now see participation of 350 painters in a project to create 20 murals on huge walls at various locations in the city. These will include educational institutions, places of worship and the railway station. Addressing reporters here Monday, Culture Minister K.C. Joseph said that on Friday the first work would be held at mixing paint to be used by the painters. "The invited mural experts would start their work on May 13 and by May 25 we expect all the paintings to be over. This is basically an initiative to revive a dying art form and Kottayam is one place which has had the most number of mural paintings, especially in religious centres," said Joseph. Incidentally, besides Joseph, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Finance Minister K.M. Mani and Kerala Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan also hail from Kottayam district. "Natural colours made from stones and leaves would be used for the paintings. On the first day, April 19 black colour would be mixed, followed by yellow, saffron, green and white," said Akademi secretary Sreemoolanagaram Mohan. "The theme of the mural paintings would depend on where it would be done. If it`s going to be an educational institution, education would be the theme and if it`s in a religious place, it would be that," added the secretary. IANS