Kottayam: The Aksharaprayanam (journey of alphabets) carrying the message of Hortus, the literary and cultural festival organised by Malayala Manorama on November 1, 2, and 3 in Kozhikode, was flagged off by Chief Editor Mammen Mathew from the Malayala Manorama courtyard at 9:30 am on Wednesday. Writer and Hortus Director NS Madhavan handed over the first letter for the journey.

The Aksharaprayanam will travel through selected literary and cultural centres, educational institutions and libraries in all districts of Kerala. Small replicas of Malayalam letters collected from reception centres will be installed at the main venue in Kozhikode as part of the Hortus festival. Programmes that shed light on the paths of reading and writing will also be arranged.

On its first day, the procession was slated to stopover at three colleges in Kottayam—CMS College, Mannanam KE College, and Ettumanoorappan College—where it would collect the miniature letter models.

The rally received a warm reception at CMS College by 10 am, with college principal Dr Anju Sosan George leading the event. Cultural programmes, organised by college students under the guidance of Assistant Professor Ditto Prasad from the Department of English, added a festive spirit.

By 11:45 am, the procession will arrive at Mannanam KE College, where it will be welcomed by principal Dr Ison V Vanchipurackal. Students, under the leadership of Dr Vinu V George and Chinju Rani Vincent, will stage cultural performances. At 2 pm, Ettumanoorappan College will host its reception, led by principal Hemanth Kumar. Teachers Meera Mukundan and Maya K Nair will lead student performances to mark the occasion.

'Reading Hortus' at Kakkanad
"Reading Hortus" (Hortus Vayana), an event where figures from Malayalam literature, cinema, and television will share their experiences, is scheduled to be held at Jain University Campus, Kakkanad, on Thursday at 2 pm.

Author and screenwriter P F Mathews, filmmaker and actor Johny Antony, and journalist Johny Lukose, news director of Manorama News, will participate. This event is part of the "Reading Hortus" series being conducted statewide as a prelude to the Hortus Literature and Cultural Festival at Kozhikode Beach from November 1 to 3. The festival will feature an impressive lineup of artists and writers from both within India and abroad.

A book fair associated with the festival will kick off on October 26, and special `proclamation evenings' featuring musicians and authors will be held until October 31. A separate pavilion for children will also be set up, offering information and entertainment.