THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government’s official 2027 calendar, redesigned under the theme ‘Puthuyuga Keralam’, has struck an immediate chord with the public, shattering previous distribution benchmarks within days of its release.
Taking to Instagram to share the milestone, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced that more than 1.82 lakh copies of the calendar were sold in just the first ten days alone—surpassing the entire previous year’s total sales. (Last year, total sales through March stood at roughly 1.65 lakh copies.)
A Royal Blue Makeover with a Vision
The Chief Minister extended special appreciation to noted designer Arun Gokul for bringing the administration’s vision to life. Selected from five design concepts submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office, the 45-year-old designer—renowned for crafting over 1,000 book covers for eminent Malayalam authors—opted for a clean, accessible aesthetic rather than a cluttered layout.
The calendar incorporates several core themes of the state government:
- Royal Blue Theme: Chosen specifically to reflect the coastal identity of Kerala and the government’s push toward a sustainable Blue Economy.
- Flagship Vision: Highlights Mission Samudra alongside the government’s guiding motto, “Good Governance with Empathy”.
High Demand Prompts Million-Copy Reprint
Priced at ₹40 per copy (with one complimentary copy offered for every ten purchased), the calendar went on sale in late October and saw massive turnout across Government Central Press (GCP) outlets and district form stores—led by Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Thrissur. With initial stocks rapidly depleting, the state government has moved to print an additional 10 lakh (1 million) copies to meet public demand.
“May this calendar, as it finds a place in homes across Keralam, serve as a daily reminder of our shared aspirations for a new era of development,” Chief Minister Satheesan wrote in his post, signing off with #ReimaginingKeralam and #PuthuyugaKeralam.
