Hill Palace

 

Hill Palace Thripunithura, Ernakulam District, Kochi

History 

Hill Palace  is located in Thripunithura/Tripunithura, in Ernakulam district of the state of Kerala. Constructed in 1865, the museum (previously a palace) used to be the official residence of the Kochi Royal family. The palace has now been converted into the present day museum. The museum holds the collection of the paintings of the erstwhile Maharaja of Kochi. The palace complex is a large enclosed area which comprises of 49 buildings, which were built in traditional Kerala style architecture. The palace compound is spread over 52 acres of area. This compound includes beautiful fountains which are a piece of art. Apart of these fountains the compound also guards elaborately lush lawns and a number of ponds. There are a number of rare medicinal plants too, which have been cultivated here. The Ethno-archaeological museum displays a number of ancient murals, oil-paintings, Stone artifacts and coins, along with manuscripts and sculptures, which belongs to the Kochi Royal Family. The first building constructed inside the complex is a single storied Ettukettu, which is supposed to be constructed in the year 1850. There is a traditional pond and a temple alongside this building. This building is constructed in traditional Kerala architecture style, according to which a residential building should be added with a pond and a temple. The latest addition to the palace compound is the three-storey museum office, which was constructed in the year 1950 in western style.  The palace was announced as a historical site and was taken over by the Department Of Archaeology in the year 1980. Six years later in 1986, the palace was opened to public. However, the museum was closed to public during the time, because rigorous renovation works were taking place. The palace was almost rebuilt and major changes were done to the exteriors of the compound. The palace was fitted with intricate carvings, which add to the ambiance of the palace. The palace is elaborately designed, while the museum is divided into 14 different categories of exhibits, including inscriptions, paintings, murals, manuscripts, sculpture in stone and plaster of Paris, carvings etc. This palace is one of the major examples of Nalukettu form of architecture, which was appreciated in Kerala at the medieval times and is still valued.  

Maritime Museum

 

Maritime Museum Cochin, Kerala

History 

India has a strong naval fleet. Its armada is deemed as one of the top marine squads in theworld. This depends upon the physical and technical prowess of our navy men. The Maritime Museum at Cochin  Kochi (Kerala) is devoted to such maritime potential of India. The museum celebrates the devotion, bravery and selfless services delivered by thevaliant gentlemen of Indian fleet. Situated at INS Dronacharya in Kochi, Maritime Museum displays the origin, growth and chronology of the Indian Navy. The Maritime     Museum at Cochin displays not only the accomplishments of the Indian fleet, but also the representations of some fundamental sailing ploys. These were used by the ancient and medieval sailors during the times when the Indian Navy was not-existent and the Indian coastline was guarded by the kings with the help of a well equipped and trained military force

Maritime Museum Kochi also displays certain evidences that testify the trade relations between the natives of Kerala and the late settlers of Indus Valley Civilization. There are a few displays stored inside the museum which support Kerala's claim of having trade links with the Arabs via sea, Indian Naval influence in South East Asia and the colonization of India by European powers in the medieval period.  

Another interesting thing about the Maritime Museum of Cochin is that it exhibits ship building activities. These activities bring forward some interesting facets of ship building in India. Exotic vessels and boats are put on display in this section of the museum. Here, a 300-year old boat of the King of Ambalapuzha is also put on display. The boat is carved out of a single tree, which exemplifies the ship building style of the medieval period. The boat is an exquisite example of the mastery of Indians in shipbuilding, which helped in spreading Indian culture to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali. These examples date to the 3rd century BC and the 12th century AD.

A complete section of Cochin Maritime Museum highlights the stories of Indian Navy's glory, whenever it took on its aggressors and ultimately won almost all the battles on water. Other sections stress particularly on the valor and bravado of the Indian armada, which has taken place from the geneses of the Indian Navy till present. The visitors of the museum are enlightened by the artifacts, each of which tell the story of evolution of the Indian Naval power from the year 1612, when the Indian Marine was established in Surat. A number of operations and battles are comprehended here, a few of which include the Goa liberation, Junaghad operation, Operation Cactus, Operation Pawan Indo-Pak conflicts of 1965 and 1971, and the tactical drills during the Kargil war. An exclusive hall is dedicated to bravery and strategies in the memory of Kunjali Marakkar which is a legendary name in the history of Indian maritime. He was the most glorious wartime hero ever in history of Indian Navy.  

Archaeological Museum

 

Archaeological Museum Thrissur Kerala

History 

Archaeological Museum situated in the city of Thrissur, Kerala, is a part of the state zoo compound. The archaeological gallery was attached to the already existing art gallery, in the year 1948. Later, the galleries were shifted to a new building in the year 1975. With time, the museum has accumulated a large collection of diverse artifacts. For instance, it preserves a number of life size statues of famous and eminent personalities like tribal chiefs, famous artists, kings, freedom fighters and reformers etc. Highly detailed and intricately crafted models of old buildings and temples are also conserved here and it also preserves manuscripts from the past which contains the history of Kerala.

These manuscripts exhibited in the Archaeological Museum Trichur are preserved with great care, as these are made of highly vulnerable dried palm leaves. The museum also stores a large number of artifacts, which were found from the jungles of Thrissur and Wayanad district. One of the major possessions of the Archaeological museum is a rare assortment of ‘Veerakallu’ or stone engravings and carvings, along with an atypical collection of megalithic weapons which were excavated from the forests of Wayanad and Thrissur. Other items which are showcased along with this exquisite collection include a gigantic anthology of Stone Age tools, megalithic wares and pottery, russet coated wares, urn burials, items excavated from north Indian civilizations like Harappa and Indus Valley Civilization. One can also find stone sculptures as old as 7th century and bronze sculptures dating back to the 10th century, here. Materials that have been excavated from Nenmeni Village, near Kollengode, are also displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Thrissur.

The building of Archaeological Museum Trichur was constructed by the king of Kollengode, for his daughter, in the year 1904. The building displays an exclusive merger of customary Kerala architecture and Western architecture. The history comes alive in the museum, in the form of paintings and sculptures. One can get a glimpse of the vibrancy of the culture, religion, performing arts, architecture and literature of the state, through these paintings and sculptures. The archaeologists regard this museum as one of the most accomplished museums in India, in terms of the accessibility to the artifacts and the typical diversity of those. The museum is home to the largest assortment of megalithic remains in Kerala. The environs of the museum are covered with thick vegetation that adds to the charm of the museum’s location. It is maintained and retained by the State Archaeology Department of Kerala.