Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri | A bicycle rider etched in collective memory Updated: Updated: The mild-mannered poet harboured revolutionary ideas Share Article AAA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, 24/09/2013: Poet Vishnunarayanan Namboothiri in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: S. Gopakumar | Photo Credit: GOPAKUMAR S The mild-mannered poet harboured revolutionary ideas Widely respected as a poet, scholar and teacher, Vishnu Narayanan Namboothiri who passed away on Thursday was a familiar face to the people of Thiruvananthapuram. Until a few years ago, it was not uncommon to see the poet, khadi-clad and riding a bicycle, on the city streets. Some years ago, during an interaction with schoolchildren, he had this to say, “It’s true that I travel by bicycle, but that is because I do not know to ride any other vehicle. I have been wearing only khadi from the age of six because that helps families involved in the weaving of the cloth.”