Chief Minister to open commemorative meet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate a two-day event to commemorate the approaching  birth anniversary of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last ruling king of Travancore, at the Kowdiar Palace premises on October 27. He will participate in the ‘pushparchana’ to be  held at ‘Panchavadi’, the resting place of Chithira Thirunal on the palace premises. The events, organised by the Sree Chithira Thirunal Smaraka Samithy, mark the 99th birth anniversary of Chithira Thirunal, which falls on November 7. The ‘pushparchana’ on October 26 will be preceded by a music concert comprising Swathi Thirunal ‘krithis’ led by K Omanakkutty and Parvathypuram Padmanabha Iyer. On October 27, a reception to poet Puthussery will be hosted by the Samithy at Levy Hall (Krishna Vilasom Palace, West Fort). Kavalam Narayana Panicker will inaugurate the function and present a poem. It will be followed by a poetry reading session led by Puthussery, in which poets P Narayana Kurup, Kowdiar Ramachandran, Bichu Thirumala, Kalam Kochera and G S Pillai will participate. Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the present titular head of the royal family, will present mementos to the poets.