There is a need to set up an exclusive heritage museum complex in the district to preserve and showcase the rich cultural ethos of the region, according to historian C. Balan.
The region is regarded as ‘sapta bhasha sangama bhoomi’ (confluence of seven languages), accommodating a multi-plural society, he said while speaking at a programme on the district’s development organised by the Press Club and District Information Office here on Monday.
The setting up of the museum complex, as a centre of culture and learning, will help in understanding the rich and varied cultural heritage of the place by the local residents and the tourists reaching here, Prof. Balan said.
The museum, with a seminar hall and dormitory facilities, is proposed in a 10-acre plot on the banks of river Thejaswini near Cheruvathur.
The museum can also broaden knowledge on the folk art forms. theyyams and yakshagana dance forms of the place.
Stating that several rare monuments and structures of historical importance, such as Thoppikallu (cap stone) and kudakallu (umbrella stone), reminiscent of burial grounds of megalithic age, discovered in and around Berikulam in Bedakam panchayat, are scattered and left decaying, Prof. Balan called for serious steps by the government to conserve such memorials.
The retired Professor of History of the of Nehru Arts and Science College, Kanhangad said that the narrow strip of land has been blessed with largest number of forts, small and large, and left to ruin for decades.
Prof. Balan said it should be preserved by involving either the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or the State ASI.
He also called for steps to preserve the exquisite wall paintings, carvings and delicate sculptures associated with temples and other places of worship.
