Kozhikode
The two-hundred-year-old wooden floor panels were shining with a coat of fresh polish, new ornamental lights were hanging from the teak wood ceiling and the air smelled of fresh paint. But what’s new at the Pazhassi Raja Museum in Kozhikode, which is awaiting the official nod to be reopened for the public after a major renovation, doesn’t end here.
The British era building that used to be the Collector's Bungalow houses the museum named after Kerala's very own guerilla warrior king Pazhassi Raja. This building, where British officer William Logan scripted the Malabar Manual and Malayattoor Ramakrishnan penned his Yakshi, is a study in itself for history enthusiasts. Its unique architecture, reminiscent of a bygone era, with a courtroom, administrative sections, a cellar and prisons in the basement, befits the antiquity represented by the museum, which is managed by the Department of Archaeology, Government of Kerala. The museum, established in 1978, houses the archaeological findings of north Kerala, with some of the artefacts dating back to the stone age.
As part of the recent renovation, the layout of the museum has been changed ensuring that each artefact is properly visible to the visitors and is categorised. New well-lit display shelves have been set up for the purpose and only select artefacts are kept on display, while the majority of the department's findings from its excavations are in the store room. The most recent additions from the ongoing excavation at the Tippu Fort in Feroke have been included post-renovation.
A small library has been set up on the ground floor for archaeology enthusiasts while a state-of-the-art conference room has been built in the basement. The new wooden rails that guard the centuries-old funeral urns from the public, as well as the sand-filled trench for the visitors to practise the Malayalam script of the 8th, 9th and 11th centuries are some of the other additions. Barring minor changes made on the flooring at certain parts, the portions in teakwood mostly remain intact.
With the addition of a few more items being readied for display, the Pazhassi Raja Museum, that ironically does not showcase even a single artefact connected to the ruler, will be all set to welcome the visitors once again.
