Kochi :
Rayamangalam, one of the earliest panchayats in the district, has embarked on an innovative mission to teach its Generation Next – the history and culture of the village. And it is doing it the digital way.
The home to famous sons-of-soil like Kerala’s ninth chief minister P K Vasudevan Nair, noted communist P Govinda Pillai, and Dr D Babu Paul, former IAS officer and writer, Rayamangalam panchayat is proposing to make a documentary film, ‘My Village’, at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakh.
The panchayat has decided to produce a 45-minute documentary to shed light on the historical and cultural significance of the village as many of its younger generation are ignorant of its past glory and the famous personalities who lived there,” said K K Mathukunju, panchayat president.
Rayamangalam, situated in Kunnathunadu taluk, was the first village to be declared the total pension panchayat in the state.
“The Kuruppampady market in our village was once famous for lemon grass oil for its quality and hill produce. But with passing of time and people switching over to other farming activities, it lagged behind other markets. The Lemon Grass Oil and General Marketing Co-Operative Society Ltd is the only society in the state for the development of lemon grass oil,” Mathukunju said.
The panchayat has invited tenders for producing the film. The 1,600-year-old St Mary’s cathedral in Kuruppampady, Koottumadam temple, Kallil temple which is a Jain temple will be featured big time in the film. One of the attractions is a rock statue of a woman, Velathipara – which is being protected in the regional poultry farm.
The controversial plywood factories and the pollution caused by them will also be highlighted. There are 95 plywood factories, 12 crusher units and around 100 wood factories functioning in the panchayat, says Mathukunju.
Well-known ancestral homes in the village, how they came into existence and interesting anecdotes of former panchayat presidents will also be featured in the documentary.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / by T C Sreemol, TNN / July 06th, 2014