A 107-year-old building at Payyannur that has historical as well as architectural value and was declared a protected monument under the Archaeology Department of the State government is all set to be developed into a museum featuring the legacy of the region’s role in freedom struggle.
The building, now known as the Old Police Station building, was saved from demolition, as the land it occupies was identified for the construction of the mini civil station in 2007.
The heritage building that had seriously faced demolition threat in the wake of the announcement of the mini civil station plan will now be turned into a history museum soon.
The government has already issued a notification declaring the building as a protected monument under the Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites Act, 1968, much to the relief of conservation activists who highlighted the heritage value of the structure.
Though the office of the Registration Department occupies a portion of the building now, the work for conserving the structure and turning it into a museum will start soon.
“The portion of the building, which is not occupied by the Registration Office is in a state of dilapidated condition,” said Director of Archaeology Department G. Premkumar, who visited the structure on November 12.
When contacted, Mr. Premkumar told The Hindu that the vacant portion of the building would be restored in the first phase and, as and when the Registration Office is shifted, the whole building could be converted into a full-fledged museum featuring Payyannur’s history during the freedom struggle, Salt Satyagraha, and showcasing history of the Payyannur khadi production.
Unoccupied structure
The unoccupied part of structure has two of the total 12 cells that was used for incarceration of people who had participated in the freedom movement.
The police station was a witness to major events during the Independence struggle and post-Independence period. It had served as a police lock-up to detain and torture people during those days.
Greeting the initiative of the Archaeology Department to develop a heritage museum in the building, V. Jayarajan, Indian National Trust for Cultural Heritage regional convener, said it was an Indo-colonial structure that had three nalukettus having 12 akathalams (central courtyards).
The building had 12 lock-up cells, said Mr. Jayarajan who was in the forefront of the conservation campaign.
Structural conservation engineer of the Archaeology Department would visit the site in a week and tender proceedings for the conservation works would be initiated after getting his report, according to officials.
The conservation campaign got a momentum when the activists moved the High Court in 2009 and the court had stayed its demolition.
