History

Napier Museum and Art Gallery is a part of the Napier Museum campus, which is situated in the middle of Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala. One should at not miss the tour of this museum, to get a feel of the authentic cultural heritage of ‘The God's Own Country’. Named after the former Governor General of Madras, Sir John Napier, the Napier Museum was constructed in the 19th century. The museum was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style. The Napier museum is an abode of a number of different exotic and rare assortments of archaeological and historic relics, ancient ornaments, bronze idols, ivory carvings. One can also find a chariot, which has been designed beautifully with a number of tribal arts.

Napier Museum & Art Gallery also boasts of maintaining an ergonomically designed naturally cooled compound, which is designed according to the principles of physics and architecture. Hence, it saves a lot of fuel and electricity. The use of plastic has been banned inside the premises of the museum, which is another thing that makes the Museum premises eco-friendly. The Napier Museum complex stores a number of artifacts, which exemplify the prosperous cultural heritage of Kerala. The museum itself is a wonderful piece of architecture, with its picturesque green surroundings.

Napier Museum is popularly known as the Government Art Museum. It will be quite interesting to note that the museum’s building is a rare amalgamation of the Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian architectural styles. The Sree Chitra Art Gallery inside the Napier museum features a rare collection of paintings by Raja Ravi Varma, Roerich and some fascinating works from the Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore schools of painting. The museum is also home to an exotic collection of paintings that are native to Japan, China, Bali and Tibet. This collection offers a visual treat and acknowledges the art and culture of these countries. The Museum holds some of the artifacts that clearly exhibit the cultural harmony between Indian and other cultures. These exhibits are the evidence of relation between India and the neighboring countries like China.

History

The Kuthiramalika Museum is popularly known as Kuthira Malika, which literally means a mansion of horses. Located in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala, the museum was originally a grand palace constructed by Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma - the great connoisseur of art and literature. The palace is situated in the vicinity of Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The palace museum derives its name from the array of horses, which are carved from the wood placed to support its southern roof.

Kuthiramalika Museum was kept vacant for almost one hundred years, following the demise of Swathi Thirunal in 1846. Kuthiramalika Palace was built by the Travancore kings. The Palace still gives an insight into the Kerala culture and intellect that was contemporary at the time of its construction. A glance at Kuthiramalika Museum will reveal the glory and grandeur of the past of the royal families of Kerala. Kuthira Malika Museum is an abode of the exquisite collections of the Royal Family's remnants.

Kuthira Malika Museum stores a collection of artifacts which include Kathakali mannequins that represent the cultural edifice of Kerala. Belgian mirrors exhibited here represent the trade relations of India during olden times. The crystal chandeliers and paintings displayed here represent the taste in art. One can also find armaments here, which show the marks of military valor of the kings. The museum also exhibits musical instruments, traditional furniture and other artifacts of olden times.

Kuthiramalika Museum also stores artifacts which were actually used by the royal families - the beautifully crafted Ivory cradles of various shapes and sizes are to name a few. The palace museum also stores a couple of thrones - one made up of ivory and the other made up of Bohemian crystal. There is a unique quality in both the thrones, as both of these have a conch mark on the top of the backrest of the throne. The Conch used to be the royal emblem of Travancore. The palace is divided into different rooms, which were used for different purpose.

When it was a palace, Kuthiramalika Museum used to have an audience chamber. This chamber was used to conduct meetings regarding the routine to be followed in the empire. A library and an alcove where also located in the palace. These were used by Swathi Thirunal for meditating. Many of his famous compositions were also conceived here. The museum also stores a famous illusion painting of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma which was crafted by the famous painter Svetoslav Roerich. The major thing to notice in this painting is that the face and the shoes of the king appear facing the viewer from every corner of the room.

Kerala Science and Technology Museum Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

History

Kerala Science and Technology Museum was established in the year 1984. Located in Thiruvananthapuram/Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala, the museum is run by an autonomous body, which was setup by the Government of Kerala. The museum remains a dynamic medium for the spread of science and technology in Kerala. Kerala Science and Technology Museum also remains a pioneer in inculcating the sense of curiosity and scientific disposition among the young generation in the state. The Government of Kerala always wanted a body which could organize fairs and scientific exhibitions. They got the answers to their questions in the form of Kerala Science and Technology Museum. The museum also undertakes the responsibility of managing science educational programmes through TV, Radio and other media of communication. The museum is also responsible for organizing demonstrations and lectures, which includes the interactions with media and public too. Kerala Science and Technology Museum is visited by people of all ages and interest, as this is a place of study as well as a recreational center. Here, children can have some creative fun, while the adults interested in science and technology can also enjoy their time here by learning new things. When the project was started, the measurements of the place came down to 5 acres of land at the mid of the capital city of the state of Kerala. The museum compound was set up in 1984 with just a few sections, namely Electricity, Electronics, Power & Motion and Mechanics, with approximately 300 exhibits. A number of galleries like Popular Science, Mathematics, Automobile and Biomedical Engineering were added to the museum with time. Kerala Science and Technology Museum also holds a planetarium called the ‘Priyadarshini Planetarium’. The planetarium was made functional in the year 1994. Further developments took place, which gave rise to a Children's Science Park and Mobile Science Exhibition unit. Later, other galleries were added too to this place, including Computer Gallery and Solar Energy Gallery. Kerala Science and Technology Museum premise also contains a Play Park with thirteen playing devices which aid learning while playing. This park was opened in the year 2005. Energy Park, 3D Theatre, Digital Weighing Machine, Edusat Talk Back Terminal, and Energy Ball etc are hot favorites of the crowd visiting Kerala Science and Technology Museum.

Temple Bar from the Strand by William Henry

Temple Bar from the Strand', London, 1873. Oil painting. A street scene including horse-drawn carriages.

Indo Portuguese Museum

Indo Portuguese Museum Fort Kochi, Kochi, Kerala

History

The Indo-Portuguese Museum, which is situated at Fort Kochi in Cochin, is one of the important museums of Kerala. The museum is an example of the Portuguese influence in both the art and the architecture of Kerala in general and Cochin in particular. The Indo-Portuguese Museum tells the story of the era when Portuguese used to have a strong influence in this area, at all levels. Be it art or the architecture of the region, this is the primary reason behind the variety in the designs of the buildings and monuments.

The Indo-Portuguese Museum is the hub to learn about the Indo-Portuguese Artistic and cultural legacy, which seems prominent as the culture and traditions of Cochin are endeavoring as always and have survived the test of time till today. The museum is the fructification of the efforts of the late Dr. Joseph Kureethra, who was the former Bishop of Kochi district. The other objective of constructing this monument was to accurately bear on the inheritance of his times, so that the upcoming generations could learn something from their experiences. According to critics, another reason for the Bishop to establish the Indo-Portuguese Museum was to protect his own archdiocese from jeopardy. The second reason was to protect the most important and invaluable collections for posterity. The Indo Portuguese Museum holds an important place in the history of Kochi. It is very popular, because it was the first museum in Kerala that especially stored artifacts and scriptures of theological importance.

Indo-Portuguese Museum is divided into five main sections. Each division has been made on the basis of the nature of items displayed. These divisions are made on the basis of routine life namely Altar, Treasure, Procession, Civil Life and Cathedral. All the antiquities which are exhibited here depict the similarity in the Indian and the culture of the Portuguese. The Indo-Portuguese Museum also showcases some exceptionally exotic collections, which are known for their artistic and architectural value. These bear the mark of strong Portuguese influence. The collection includes a chasuble (19th century) from Bishop's House, a piece of the altar made in teak wood (16th century) from the Church of Our Lady of Hope, Indo-Portuguese Monstrance (18-19th century), Processional cross, which is a combination of silver and wood (17th century), from Church of Our Lady of Hope, Vypeen from Santa Cruz Cathedral, Fort Kochi.