Pen Monument

In News

The public hearing on the proposed pen memorial for former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was marked by disruptions as groups supporting the construction of the monument created a ruckus while opposing views were presented on grounds of environmental damage and loss of livelihoods.

Courtesy: Print 

About Monument

• The Pen Memorial pays tribute to M. Karunanidhi.
  • The idea of a monument on water derives from the metaphorical catamaran to which Karunanidhi compared himself. 
• The Rs 81-crore ‘Pen Monument’, standing in the Bay of Bengal 360 m from the coast and is expected to become a Chennai landmark on completion.
• It has been planned as a representation of Tamil culture and architecture and will incorporate regional motifs, architecture, and designs with Tamil heritage elements.
• Features 
  • The design of the monument is based on the Veena, a traditional Carnatic musical instrument that is handmade in Tamil Nadu with extreme precision. 
  • The Thumba is used to represent the pen pedestal, the neck portion the long bridges, the music hole a pen statue, and the peg the tensile canopy seating on the bridge.
  • The frets are used to represent the distance between the bridge’s columns, and the strings are used to represent the Meru or Kudira
  • The design for the landscaped garden on the memorial pedestal is inspired by Sikku Kolam, a traditional drawing made by Tamil women in their homes, in which a geometric shape is created using dots and circles. Locally procured granite will be used for the memorial.
• Status 

• The proposed ‘Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Pen Monument’ off Marina beach falls under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) IA, II, and IVA, and requires clearance under Section 4(ii)(j) of the Union Environment Ministry’s Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 (amended up to March 22, 2016).

Source: IE