PRESERVING HISTORY: Minister for Culture M.A. Baby at the jewels gallery of the Hill Palace Museum, Thripunithura, on Sunday. — Photo: Mahesh Harilal.

KOCHI: The Government plans to renovate and protect the Hill Palace Museum at Thripunithura, Minister for Education and Culture M.A. Baby has said.

Talking to media persons after visiting various galleries of the museum on Sunday, Mr. Baby said a Rs.7.5-crore project has been prepared for its conservation.

"The Museum should be developed as a centre for information, entertainment and recreation. The Museum has the scope for attracting visitors, who are interested in history, heritage and culture. The conservation and restoration programme would be implemented in a time-bound manner," he said.

Mr. Baby also said steps for ensuring Central assistance in conserving the Museum would be ensured. The centuries-old structures of the palace would be protected without altering its character. The cooperation of local bodies including the district panchayat would be sought while implementing the projects, he said.

It was Mr. Baby's first visit to the museum after taking over as Minister. The State Archaeology department plans to implement the conservation programme in four phases and the museum will get assistance to the tune of Rs.1.67 crore in the first year. In the first phase, the restoration works of the old buildings will be carried out. It would be the engineering wing of the State Archaeology Department that would be carrying out the works, museum officials said.

Thaikkal find

Mr. Baby said the Government would seek the views of archaeologists and experts in formulating a project for protecting and conserving the vessel that was found at Thaikkal near Cherthala. Mr. Baby had earlier visited the site.

The carbon dating tests of the objects at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, had revealed it to be 1010-years-old making it one of the unique archaeological finds from the State. Later, another carbon dating test held at the Marine Archaeology laboratory of the Texas University, US, had put the age at 910 years, said Museum officials.

The State Archaeology department had also initiated land acquisition process there for setting up a museum. Though the department had convened a meeting of historians and experts in 2005 to elicit views on conserving the remains of the vessel, conservation efforts were yet to take. The remains of the vessel were still lying beneath layers of mud and water.

M.J. Jacob, MLA, Thiruvankulam panchayath president E.V. Thankappan, State Archaeology Department Director V. Manmadhan Nair and documentation officer of the Hill Palace Museum P.K. Gopi accompanied the Minister. Mr. Baby visited the Jewels gallery, cabinet hall of the erstwhile kings of Kochi, the porcelain gallery, woodcarving, portrait, epigraphy and royal furniture galleries.

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