

K.Narayanan Chettiar
 
N.Chellappan
Chettiar
(Secretary)
 
P.A.Ramani

N.C.Sivaraj

N.C.Rajendran |
Vidyarambham Publishers
Estd. 1919
An eminent publishing house with
more than eighty years of brilliant heritage, Vidyarambham is a well-known name among Malayalis around the globe.
The house has brought out precious books on different categories like
Devotional, Astrology, and Ayurvedam etc. for three generations
and still continues the course of disseminating knowledge to the
public.
Founded by Late K. Narayana
Chettiar, who entered the world of books by peddling books
in and around temple maidans for his livelihood. A man with relentless
working nature, he started Vidyarambham Publishers in 1919 in
Alapuzha and published books on general interest. His elder son N. Chellappan Chettiar (1934) joined business with his
father in 1955 and soon carved out a niche market in Malayalam
Publishing by producing books on various subjects. For his various
contributions to the book industry, the Federation of Indian Publishers
has felicitated him by conferring Award for Significant Contribution
to Book Promotion & Publishing in the year 2001. He has
served in many committees related to printing and publishing.
At present he is a member of All India Federation of Master Printers,
New Delhi, Book Development Council of Kerala Government, Trivandrum
and in the executive committee of All Kerala Publishers and Booksellers
Assosciation. Since early 1955 he was designated as Secretary of Vidyarambham, and still widely known to the industry in that
byname.
His wife P. A. Ramani manages
the Alapuzha Sales Depot. He has 4 daughters and 2 sons. The elder
son N. C. Sivaraj is in charge of Trivandrum Depot. (Vidyarambham
Publishers, TRIDA Centre, Pattom Road, Medical College PO, Trivandrum
695011). Besides this, he owns the largest Greetings Cards Showroom
of the city, Greetings Galaxy, Near Ayurveda College, Trivandrum
695001. The younger son N. C. Rajendran looks after the publishing
activities in Alapuzha. He has achieved the Master's Degree in
Publishing Science and Printing Technology from Mahatma Gandhi
University with First Rank. Before joining the firm he was working
in National Institute of Oceanography, Cochin, after his Post
Graduation in Oceanography from CUSAT.
The extent and diversity of books
are amazing that range from Primary Educational books to authoritative
titles on Devotion, Astrology, Ayurvedam,
and Tachusasthram. The General books include Yoga, Magic,
Fables, and Crime etc. In joint with Gayathri Parivar, Santhikunj,
Haridwar, the house brings out Malayalam editions of books
on Gayathri Devi. The publications are all professionally
edited and produced with strict quality control both during printing
and finishing line. The prices of the books are always kept a
minimum considering chiefly the targeted readers so that it would
be bearable to them.
The promotion of books are largely
done by releasing regular advertisements through leading newspapers
and periodicals. The books are marketed out through all leading
bookshops across the state apart from our own bookshops at Alapuzha
and Trivandrum. The readers can purchase books through mail -
the VPP system, which is used widely by people outside Kerala
and India. Besides own publications, the firm sells titles of
similar categories of other major publishers in the state. The
Yogada Stasanga Society of India, Ranchi, appointed the house
as the distributor of Malayalam translation of "Autobiography
of a Yogi". |

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