Kerala has many museums. It would be interesting to plan a tour to visit all these archaeological and historical museums in the state. Besides providing a window to the rich cultural heritage of Kerala, these museums also speak volumes of the state’s glorious historical background.
While you are enjoying your holidays in Kerala, you cannot afford to miss the museums in Kerala. It is a known fact that the state of Kerala has had a rich cultural heritage. The glory of the bygone eras of Kerala seems to come alive through the numerous archaeological artifacts displayed in the museums of Kerala. Whether a history buff or an archeological artifacts lover, these museums invite one and all to gain an insight into the vibrant past of Kerala. It is interesting to note that these Kerala museums feature some artifacts whose history dates back to the Stone Age. Given below are some of the most visited museums in the state of Kerala.
It is one of the most frequented museums in the Wayanad district of Kerala. The archaeological museums display a rich collection of antiquities. You can also witness artifacts belonging to the 2nd century.
Cochin Maritime Museum Kochi
Hill Palace Museum Kochi
Indo Portuguese Museum Kochi
Museum of Kerala History Ernakulam
This is one of the best museums in Kerala. It is located 8 km away from Ernakulam district at Edappally. The phenomenal statue of sage Parshurama (creator of Kerala) welcomes every visitor. The light and sound show is main attraction of the museum, which reveals the 2000 years old history of Kerala.
Krishnan Menon Museum Calicut
Priyadarshini Museum Thiruvananthapuram
Several shows have been conducted here. One of the main show is the ‘Man and the Universe’ that deals with the origin and the stages in the development of astronomy, structure and feature of planets and the origin of Universe.
Thrithala Palakkad Museum
An important archeological museum, located in Palakkad district, the Thrithala Palakkad Museum is located on the banks of Barathapuzha River. The most fascinating aspect of the place is that it is an ancient archaeological site of the state that is well preserved till date. Thrithala is known for its historic ruins and monuments that date back to as early as the 9th or 10th century. The ruins of a large fort with a deep moat hewn from laterite and the Kattil Madom temple, a domed structure of granite slabs on the Pattambi – Guruvayoor Road are the prime attractions. The the temple probably marks the transition from the Chola to the Pandya style of architecture. Thrithala is famous for its Shiva temple that has an interesting story behind it.
Pazhassiraja Museum Kozhikode
Munnar Tea Museum
A sundial, placed on a granite block, which was made in 1913 at Art Industrial School at Nazareth, Tamil Nadu, greets a visitor to the Tea Museum. Some of the interesting items on display at the museum include the original tea roller – ‘Rotorvane,’ dating back to 1905, used for CTC type tea processing. The ‘Pelton Wheel’ used in the power generation plant that existed in the Kanniamallay estate in the 1920s, a rail engine wheel of the Kundale Valley Light Railway that shuttled men and material between Munnar and Top Station during the first half of the last century are other items on display. A section of the museum also houses classic bungalow furniture, typewriters, wooden bathtub, magneto phone, iron oven, manual calculators and EPABX of the1909 telephone system.
A demonstration room for tea tasting is another attraction where one would come across different varieties of tea. Those eager to understand the nuances of tea processing can do so at the CTC and orthodox tea-manufacturing unit at the museum.
Trichur Archaeological Museum
Thrissur Archaeological Museum is famous for its collection of murals and relics brought there from across the state. The museum also has big life-size statues of eminent historical figures. The museum also has models of ancient temples and monuments.
An interesting collection amongst the many artifacts is the “olagrandhangal”, which are parchments made of dry palm leaves. These fragile manuscripts are preserved till date with much care in this museum. Interestingly, most of the artifacts of this museum were recovered from the dense forests of Thrissur and Wayanad district of Kerala.
Napier Museum Trivandrum
Natural History Museum
The museum has separate galleries displaying stuffed mammals, birds, lower vertebrates and invertebrates. The exhibits of fossil tree trunks near the entrance are another big draw. There is an art collection that highlight Kerala’s rich heritage in stone, wood and metal sculpture. There are index collections, a skeleton gallery and laboratory. Besides these archeological and cultural specimens, this museum has an excellent ethnographic collection.
Kuthiramalika Museum
The Kuthiramalika Palace was built by His Highness the Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma of Travancore. The Palace museum adorned with paintings and amusing collections of the erstwhile royal family. It is an example of Travancore style of architecture.
Sree Chitra Arts Gallery
The art gallery housed in a traditional building next to Napier Museum, houses the collections of the Travancore ruling family, and include an interesting assortment of turn-of-the-century Bengali school paintings, and Rajasthani and Mughal miniatures
