The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Udhagamandalam News : Ooty museum in a state of neglect

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam

Ooty museum in a state of neglect

By D. Radhakrishnan

UDHAGAMANDALAM, APRIL 5. Concern has been growing,of late, among various sections of the society in the Nilgiris district, over the sad state of affairs vis a vis the Government Museum in Ooty.

The museum, which is housed in a dilapidated rented building on the outskirts of the town near Finger Post, has for the past several years not been serving its purpose. Though a curator, technical assistant, junior assistant and a gallery guard have been appointed, not many are aware of its existence. Even those who visited the spot were reluctant to enter the place on account of its `dangerous and shabby' condition.

The Ooty museum was established, near the Club Road in 1989, after the State Government decided about 25 years ago to establish museums in all the districts. It was shifted to its present premises in 1992. Though it attracted some visitors in the beginning, its popularity waned gradually leading to the place becoming a desolate spot.

While the general impression was that for the past few years no one visited the museum, its curator N. Soundara Pandian told THE HINDU The Hindu here today that "one or two persons visited the place daily." Since August 2003, entry fee was collected at the rate of Rs 5 for adults, Rs 3 for children, Rs 2 for students and Rs 100 from foreigners. However, in many of the tourist brochures, the entry to the museum is mentioned as free.

Its present state of neglect notwithstanding, the museum contains many interesting items.

According to Mr. Pandian, it has six rare icons made of a combination of five metals belonging to 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. There are also about 300 rare coins and pottery items made several centuries ago. The latter belonged to the collection of James Wilkinson Breeks, the first Commissioner (Collector) of the Nilgiris. Among the other items are artefacts of the primitive tribes of the Nilgiris, including Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas and Paniyas, palm leaf manuscripts and antiques.

Pointing out that a sum of Rs 6,000 was being paid as rent for the building housing the museum, he said that on the one hand, the owner wanted the place to be vacated and on the other, the building was falling apart. A search for a suitable place to shift the museum had been on for the past few years.

To a query, he said that among the places suggested were the historic bungalow of John Sullivan (founder of Ooty) at Kannerimukku near Kotagiri and the Connemara cottage near the Government Arts College here.

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Ooty museum in a state of neglect