The second book fair at Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) began last Thursday, November 16. It was inaugurated by the district’s Revenue Minister, KKSSR Ramachandran at KVS Higher Secondary School grounds. The exhibition is open for 12 days, until November 27 and is currently garnering everyone’s attention. Last year, when the first book festival was held in Virudhunagar, a squirrel named Viru was made the mascot of the festival. This year also, the squirrel is back as the mascot. To top it all, it has been made into a big statue and placed on the grounds of the fair, which has been a major attraction for people. Many visitors are wondering why a squirrel has been chosen as the festival’s mascot and what does it symbolise?
According to reports, the squirrel named Viru is grey in colour and belongs to a species residing in the Western Ghats, Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu. The government has declared this area a sanctuary for grey squirrels, as it is a rare species that lives only in the Srivilliputhur region. To take the pride of such a rare creature to the outside world, the idea of a grey squirrel reading a book was designed. The name Viru was coined from the word Virudhunagar.
Students and the public coming to the book festival are taking photos in front of the big squirrel statue placed in the ground.
The exhibition features hundreds of stalls displaying books on arts, literature, history, social science, motivation, and self-development in Tamil and English. Encyclopaedias and books on competitive examinations published by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission are also available. Books to guide civil service aspirants are also kept at the stalls. There are books for people of every age and taste.
Apart from this, a display of artefacts discovered at the Vembakottai archaeological excavation site, traditional musical instruments, a planetarium, 3D films, entertainment for children, and food courts have been put up on the exhibition grounds.
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