The Hindu : Kerala News : Repository of culture, history TOURISM TRAIL

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Friday, Dec 28, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Repository of culture, history TOURISM TRAIL

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

KNOWLEDGE CENTRE: The Park View Building of Kerala Tourism which is to be converted into a hi-tech interactive History Museum.

A hi-tech interactive history museum to come up at Park View, one of the four elegant Travancore-era buildings in the capital, will showcase Kerala culture and history and is expected to be a major tourist attraction.

The two-storey building with a floor area of over 4,000 sq.ft., estimated to be over 100 years old, had been restored to its former grandeur under a Rs.98-lakh project taken up by Kerala Tourism and the Department of Archaeology with assistance from t he Union government.

“Since the space in the palatial building is limited, we will be representing each age by a representative object in the museum.

More details con the project can be had from the multi-media tools,” says Director of Archaeology S. Hemachandran.

The preliminary work for setting up the museum had already commenced. On completion, visitors will get a feeling of moving through various ages in the growth of the history and culture of Kerala.

During princely rule, the building situated on a sprawling two-acre premises was the official residence of the Chief Secretary.

Later, it was used as the official residence of Ministers T.V. Thomas and K.R. Gouri, C.H. Mohammed Koya, Ummer Koya, P.R. Kurup, P.K. Raghavan and K.T. George.

As Park View was considered inauspicious, it was dropped from the list of official residences of the Ministers.

The last official who stayed at the mansion in 1971 was the former Inspector General Singaravelu.

The building was used as guesthouse during 1970-71 when the Government Guesthouse at Thycaud was taken up for renovation. The staircase in the building had featured in the Malayalam film Enippadikal.

The Tourism Directorate, which was functioning in the adjoining Public Office compound, was shifted to the building in 1974.

The directorate was shifted to a new building on the premises after three decades.

“No structural changes will be made to the existing building. We were given one year and we hope to complete the work by March next.

The museum will be a miniature of the Kolkota Hi-tech Museum,” adds Mr. Hemachandran.

Since Park View is close to Napier Museum and the zoo, the authorities hope that tourists will arrive in large numbers to visit the history museum.

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

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