Shhhh! History Sleeps Here!: Museums of Kerala

 June 28 2010 | Category : History | | (10) Comments Tweet

Museums of the culturally rich state, Kerala, are the places where its history lies intact. Windows to the glorious legacy of the land, Museums should definitely end in your must visit list. The museums have rich collections of archeological artifacts, some of which date back to the Stone Age. While there are several museums in the state, some like the below mentioned ones should be given preference for they have on display a variety of artifacts which are not available elsewhere.

Napier Museum: Photo by  Kerala Tourism

Hill Palace Museum

Located just 10 km from Ernakulam, the Hill Palace Museum is Kerala’s first heritage museum. Set up in 1865 this everlasting august museum is now an important tourist attraction. The museum once upon a time used to be the official residence of the Kochi Royal Family. The palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style of Kerala.

The museum also displays 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from China and Japan, Kudakkallu (tomb stone), Thoppikkallu (hood stone), menhirs, granite, laterite memorials, rock cut weapons belonging to the stone age, wooden temple models. There is an amazing array of plaster cast models of objects from Mohanjodaro and Harappa (Indus Valley civilization) of North India. The museum also houses a gallery of contemporary

The museum is the place to visit if one is looking for a peek into history even while enjoying spacious and serene surrounds. Surrounded by 50 acres of well maintained lawns with fountains and ponds the place is a hot spot for art enthusiasts.

Hill Palace Museum: Photo by Deepa.praveen

Indo Portuguese Museum

A colonial structure, the Indo-Portuguese Museum of Kochi is the epicentre of Indo-Portuguese Christian Art heritage, which is still surviving in the state. The museum is divided into five main sections, according to the nature of items displayed including, altar, treasure, procession, civil life and cathedral.

The museum currently houses some artistic and architectural marvels, which bear the mark of a strong Portuguese influence. Some of these include a piece of the altar made in teak wood (16th century) from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen, a chasuble (19th century) from Bishop’s House, Fort Kochi, Processional cross, which is a combination of silver and wood (17th century) from Santa Cruz Cathedral, Fort Kochi, Indo-Portuguese Monstrance (18-19th century), from The Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen. Among the displayed items, the Coat of Arms of the Franciscans needs special mention. The museum is situated in Fort Kochi.

Indo Portuguese Museum: Photo by Poo-tee-weet

Trichur Archaeological Museum

A architectural wonder situated near Town Hall Road, the Thrissur Archaeological Museum is famous for its collection of murals and relics brought there from across the state. The museum also has big life-size statues of eminent historical figures. The museum also has models of ancient temples and monuments.

An interesting collection amongst the many artifacts is the “olagrandhangal”, which are parchments made of dry palm leaves. These fragile manuscripts are preserved till date with much care in this museum. Interestingly, most of the artifacts of this museum were recovered from the dense forests of Thrissur and Wayanad district of Kerala.

The place can be reached from the Cochin International Airport, which is located at a distance of 57 km. Thrissur railway station is just 2 km from the museum.

Trichur Archaeological Museum: Photo by vineetsuthan

Munnar Tea Museum

An interesting museum to visit for the afternoon tea lovers among you would be the Munnar Tea museum, located in Munnar, a famous hill station in Kerala. Since the area is known for its tea plantations it is only right to dedicate a museum to showcase important aspects on the genesis and growth of tea plantations in the country.

A sundial, placed on a granite block, which was made in 1913 at Art Industrial School at Nazareth, Tamil Nadu, greets a visitor to the Tea Museum. Some of the interesting items on display at the museum include the original tea roller – ‘Rotorvane,’ dating back to 1905, used for CTC type tea processing. The ‘Pelton Wheel’ used in the power generation plant that existed in the Kanniamallay estate in the 1920s, a rail engine wheel of the Kundale Valley Light Railway that shuttled men and material between Munnar and Top Station during the first half of the last century are other items on display. A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture, typewriters, wooden bathtub, magneto phone, iron oven, manual calculators and EPABX of the1909 telephone system.
A demonstration room for tea tasting is another attraction where one would come across different varieties of tea. Those eager to understand the nuances of tea processing can do so at the CTC and orthodox tea-manufacturing unit at the museum.

Munnar Tea Museum: Photo by safiyya307

Cochin Maritime Museum

A museum built in the memory of those brave men who lead the Indian Navy, this maritime museum showcases the rich history of the naval high command of this land. Located in Kochi, the port city of the state, the museum has records of ancient trade links between Kerala and Arab nations that date back to Indus Valley Civilization. The remains of the maritime hero of the past, Kunjali Marakkar also features in the place’s collection.

The museum is divided into different sections, each highlighting various aspects of the Indian navy including shipbuilding, evolution of the Indian navy since the year 1600 and wars fought by the navy. Wars including, the one for liberation of Goa, Indo-Pak conflicts of 1965 and 1971, Operation Cactus (Maldives), Operation Pawan and planned drills during Kargil war are all featured in this museum. The airports that are closest to Ernakulam are Trivandrum and Cochin.

Cochin Maritime Museum: Photo by doranan

Pazhassiraja Museum

The Pazhassi Raja museum and the art gallery of Kozhikode was named after the famous Pazhassiraja Kerala Varma of the Kottayam royal family.  Copies of ancient mural paintings, antiques, bronzes, old coins, models of temples, megalithic monuments and umbrella stones are all present in the museum., which is a must visit place when in the city. The museum will be open on all days except national holidays from 10 am to 5 pm.

Pazhassiraja Museum: Photo by Swaathi2006

Museum of Kerala History

Located 10 km from Ernakulam, the museum is the place where the history of the state comes alive through a light and sound show. The show lasts for an hour and depicts the history of the state and its makers. Cultural and traditional aspects of the state come alive in this show. The museum also has several statues related to mythical and cultural past of the state.

the  history and the makers of Kerala come alive in dazzling displays along with scintillating background music. The show is a hit among kids and adults alike. You can see the diverse cultural and traditional heritage of Kerala come to know about many other interesting facts about this beautiful place. At the museum, there are life size statues and sculptures that vividly illustrate the important landmarks in our civilization right from the Stone Age to the modern times. This museum is also known as Madhavan Nayar Foundation

Ambalavayal Heritage Museum

Situated in Wayanad district of Kerala, this heritage museum has artifacts which date back even to 2nd century AD. Among the collection of the artifacts and curios, one can find items like arrows, bows, prehistoric stone weapons, clay models and sculptures which are indications of the rich tradition of civilized life which existed in the region from time immemorial.

While the nearest airport is Karipur Airport, which is located around 120 kilometers from this place, the nearest railway station to the place is Kozhikode railway station which is at a distance of 97 km from the place.

Thrithala Palakkad

An important archeological museum, located in Palakkad district, the Thrithala Palakkad Museum is located on the banks of Barathapuzha River. The most fascinating aspect of the place is that it is an ancient archaeological site of the state that is well preserved till date. The museum is known for its historic ruins and monuments that date back to 9th and 10th centuries.