Soon after Mahakavi Vallathol Narayana Menon passed away in 1958, the Indian Railways honoured him by renaming the then Vettikkattiri railway station (VTK), which is just 800 meters from the Kerala Kalamandalam founded by the poet, as Vallathol Nagar railway station.
Unfortunately, the name of Vallathol was erroneously spelled as Vallattol, which was an insult to the memory of the legendary poet, who left a huge footprint in various fields such as literature, performing arts and social reformation. The spelling of the station was misspelled for decades even after repeated requests from various corners.
Ending the long pending requests of the people along with relatives of Mahakavi Vallathol, the Railways has recently changed the spelling of Vallattol Nagar railway station into Vallathol Nagar railway station.
“Along with the change of spelling, we have requested Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to upgrade the railway station, which has a potential to be a cultural hub. Just 800 meters from Kerala Kalamandalam, upgrading of Vallathol Nagar railway station with stops for long haul trains will be a financially profitable decision for the Railways. Many foreigners have studied in Kerala Kalamandalam and have become unofficial cultural ambassadors of India in their respective countries,” says Ramdas Vallathol, grand nephew of the poet and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Governor of West Bengal.
