Onakkoor's Manju-inspired Nainital sojourn stirs emotions

"THAT'S the power of great literature," said writer George Onakkoor, recounting his unforgettable journey inspired by M T Vasudevan Nair's celebrated novel Manju.

- ANURADHA LR @T'Puram

Speaking at a commemorative event at the Malayalam Pallikoodam in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Onakkoor described how the book, set in the misty landscape of Nainital, drew him to visit the very place where its story unfolds.

"After reading it, I got a chance to travel to Delhi and decided to visit Nainital, which is hardly three hours from Delhi. A kind lady offered me a seat on the bus. I planned a two-day trip but ended up staying for seven days in the same room, at Alka Hotel with a view of the Naini river, where Vimala waited for Sudhir Kumar Mishra. That experience, born from MT's masterpiece, shaped my own creative journey and found a place in my book Uzhavuchalukal," he said.