Kottayam: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the Thanthai Periyar Memorial and the Periyar Library in Vaikom on Thursday, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presiding over the event. Afterwards, the two leaders visited the Periyar Museum. 

"Today is a historic day, one that deserves to be inscribed in gold. We are celebrating in Vaikom, a place where entry was once prohibited, as we inaugurate a memorial for Thanthai Periyar. It is in the very same Vaikom, where Thanthai Periyar was arrested and jailed, that the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments are coming together to celebrate this event," said Stalin in a speech addressing the gathering at Vaikom beach.

The memorial and library have been established in honour of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E V Ramasamy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will preside over the function and deliver the keynote address during the ceremony.

The Tamil Nadu CM arrived at Cochin International Airport at 10.45 am on Wednesday, where he was welcomed by officials led by Ernakulam District Collector N S K Umesh, an official release said.

"Arrived in Kerala, the land of vibrant culture, serene beauty, and progressiveness, for the Vaikom Satyagraha Centenary celebrations. Each time I come here, I am touched by the warm reception and genuine hospitality of our Dravidian siblings, it truly feels like home," said Stalin in a post on X.

He later reached the Kumarakom Lake Resort, where the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department Minister E V Velu and Kottayam District Collector John V Samuel welcomed him. A police guard of honour was presented, and the district collector honoured him with a kasavu shawl and a copy of the book "A Cry in the Wilderness: The Works of Narayana Guru". Tamil Nadu Ministers Durai Murugan and M P Saminathan were also at Kumarakom.