Rare collection art on display

A history-cum-heritage museum with a rare collection of art.

Thiruvananthapuram: A history-cum-heritage museum with a rare collection of exhibits throwing light into Kerala`s history and culture over the centuries has been set up here. The museum is conceived as a way to showcase the history and culture of the state in authentic words, visuals and videos for the future generation.

A joint initiative of the Departments of Tourism and Culture, the museum is housed in the historic Park View Bunglow in the heart of the city, which was once the official residence of Chief Secretaries. "More than making it an arena to exhibit the historical artifacts, the museum has been conceived to help research and studies in history," V Venu, Kerala Tourism Secretary, said. Spread over 7000 sq ft, the museum houses a rich array of sculptures, idols and tools in stone, metal and wood, ancient frescoes, murals and different art forms. The replica of rock engravings and inscriptions dating back to the stone age have also been recreated. Narrative documentaries, aesthetically designed galleries, maps and charts, theatre complex, library and a museum shop have also been provided for the visitors. First to welcome the visitor is the screening of a short film on Kerala history. Brief notes are attached to each exhibit to help them get information about the exhibits. Replicas of artifacts belonging to Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Megalithic and Mesolithic periods, a royal horse drawn coach and ancient cannons, burial accompaniments belonging to iron age, rock cut caves, Roman Dinari silver coins, 17th century murals and 14th century wood carvings of Brahma are some of the rare exhibits in the Keralam museum. Venu said recently the museum was visited by officials of Australian Heritage Commission who greatly appreciated not only the articles on display but the way it was conceived and executed. "A unique feature of this museum is its thematic integrity. Most museum we have around house collections of with no thematic unity and integrity. But this one, is focussed specifically on history and culture," Venu said. PTI