His hands have touched the rarest and most priceless objects of antiquity, some he has examined and researched on, some he has even restored to their original form. V. Jeyraj, a heritage conservationist, is drawn to everything old. And now, even after retiring as Curator for Chemical Conservation from the Government Museum, Jeyraj is continuing his passion thorough the Hepzibah Institute of Heritage Conservation, which offers tips on conservation and also takes up restoration work. The institute also trains young students who want to enter the field.
Listening to Jeyraj tell stories about working on invaluable paintings such as the one of Mani Iyer by Raja Ravi Verma, which has been declared a national treasure, on the idols from Chola and Palava periods, of him teaming up with the Archaeological Department for excavations, one cannot but sense the thrill of working with things from the mysterious past.
“This has always been my passion. Conservation and restoration is a time-consuming process, where we must be very careful not to destroy the smallest of details. And there is extensive research to be done before starting a work. We follow the rule of reversibility. If we are working on oil paintings, we will only use water colours so that if any mistake is committed, it can be reversed without damaging the picture,” he says.
At his institute, he conducts regular training sessions on heritage conservation. “These are week-long, rigorous courses which include theory, practical sessions, group discussions, field visits, dissertation, test and viva-voce. There is no age limit and anyone interested in conservation can join,” adds Jeyraj, who has authored over 25 books on heritage conservation.
He is currently working on a project given by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangarhalaya and is in the process of collecting information related to the current status of art objects, conservation of metal and stone objects and archival materials. He wants people who have any knowledge about the above subjects or have interesting photographs, to contact him. The final report will be published as a book.
“I have also been called for restoring 38 paintings at the Vivekananda House and am working on three volumes of Quran manuscripts from the Akbar period,” he adds.
True to his passion, he also started a trust in the same name for the aged, after retirement.
“I provide food and shelter, medical help to six homeless aged men and eight women. For women, I have taken a separate house on lease, while the men stay in a small portion at the institute,” says Jeyraj, who also supports the education of deserving poor children.
Jeyraj can be reached at 9381008253. The institute is located at 21, V.O.C.Street, M.G.R. Nagar.
