Museums in Kerala Enhances the Cultural and Heritage Beauty of Kerala
By Vishnudas
Kerala is one of the most visited places of India. It has such buildings, monuments, natural beauty that makes it an ideal tourist spot. Museums also add to the beauty of Kerala, thereby completing its splendour. There are numerous museums in Kerala. These museums remind the people time by time the rich and cultural heritage of the southern state of India. One thing that all the museums of the world share is that all of them have a lot to say about the astonishing past. Thus, museums are equally important in a place as the spots of tourism are. Some of the awesome museums of Kerala are mentioned below.
Archaeological MuseumEntrenched by the Government of Cochin in 1938 exists the very famed Archaeological Museum in Thrissur. The museum is very popular due to its extensive compilation of artifacts. Surprisingly, the museum was established as Sree Mulam Chithrasala which is ultimately a picture gallery. After a certain period of time, an Archaeological gallery was coupled to the picture gallery. As a result of which it came to be known as the Thrissure Archaeological Museum.
The scripts imprinted on withered palm leaves called Olagrandhangal, are one of the major attractions of the museum and have been conserved very properly. The artefacts that have been showcased in the museum are in fact derived from the forests of Thrissur and Wayanad district. In addition to that, the rare anthology of stone engravings (Veerakallu) or the carvings of fighting tools used by valiant warriors of this region is also an enhancing feature of the museum. Tea MuseumEstablished in 2004, the Tea Museum was initiated by the Tata Tea and exists at the Nallathanni Estate of Tata Tea. To be found in Idukki district in Munnar, the museum is extremely for the tea plantations it has and also focuses on the upbringing of the plantation, thereby taking great care of them. The Tea Museum exhibits a few unique items such as the old tea roller of 1905 known as Rotorvane, rail engine helm of Kundale Valley Light Railway which moved both men and goods from Munnar towards the summit, 'Pelton Wheel' that assisted in the generation of electricity.The Tea Museum was opened as an ode for those people who faced so much to convert Munnar into a most significant tea fabrication hub. The museum also preserves the 101 year old sundial, which was made by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth, Tamilnadu. It is situated on a block of granite. The Tea Museum encloses a demo room as well where one can have a sip of the tea produced in Munnar. One can also find an awesome assortment of tea.Kuthiramalika
Located in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kuthiramalika is also famed as Puthen malika palace. Entrenched in 1840 by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma on the southern side of Padmanabha swami temple, it derives its name owing to the outline of 122 horses imprinted in wood which sustains the roof. Nearby the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Museum positioned at East Fort is extremely popular due to its breath taking architecture as a result of which it draws the attention of innumerable people worldwide. Also known as the Horse Palace is transformed into a museum to showcase paintings and different valuable collections which was owned by the royal family.Music shows and concerts are organized in front of the palace, which further adds to the grandeur of the palace.Ambalavayal Heritage MuseumLocated in the Wayanad district, the Ambalavayal Heritage Museum is an archaeological museum and encompasses an extensive collection of versatile articles. The District Tourism Promotion Council takes charge of the Museum. Exclusive tools and remnants from the indigenous area are exhibited in this museum. Verasmruthi, Devasmruthi, Jeevanasmruthi and Gothrasmruthi are four galleries in the museum showcasing diverse artefacts. Few of the artefacts come from the Neolithic Age and the seventeenth century. Many artefacts also belong to the second century. In short, there artefacts in the form of bows, stones, arrows are a kind of proof that human society did exist who had knowledge about planning.Krishnapuram Palace
Pinpointed in the Alappuzha district, the Archaeological Department assumes the Palace to be a protected monument. Established in the 18thcentury through the sovereignty of Martanda Varma, the Palace is well renowned for its architecture and the paintings that adorn the wall.Bolgatti PalaceEstablished in 1744, the Bolgatti Palace sited on
the Bolgatty Island, was constructed by the Dutch. It is the oldest active Dutch palace exterior to Holland. Afterwards, it was given as a rent to the British in 1909 that turned it into their residence till the year 1949. The firth of Vembanad Lake lies opposite to the Bolgatti Palace.Napier Museum and Art GalleryCalled after the Madras governor General John Napier, the museum is positioned in the Thiruvananthapuram district. Also known as the Government Art Museum, the Napier Museum and the art gallery are to be found in the same
compound. Thus we can see how the museums represent the heritage of a state. One must definitely visit the museums of Kochi if one wants to have a dip in the past. Come, explore and see what the museum holds for you.