As significant as the deliberations of the 77th Indian History Congress (IHC) that concluded in the city on Friday were the different exhibitions held as part of the event.
Each brought the past alive through articles, artefacts, and documents from early to modern periods of national history.
If one of the exhibitions featured the fruits of years of labour by archaeologists, from the early to medieval and modern periods, another was all about the carefully preserved palm leaf manuscripts and yet another on the cultural heritage of Kerala.
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Evolution of writing
Almost every venue was teeming with visitors through the duration of the conference and helping them understand the material on display were students of the related departments of the University of Kerala.
At the Manuscripts Library and Research Centre, one could witness the evolution of the art of writing and preservation of written texts dealing with the Vedas, Puranas, Ayurveda, Yagas, besides creative works by eminent writers of different eras in the evolution of Malayalam language and literature.
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At the Department of Archaeology, there were the replicas from the Harappan period to the contemporary times, including pot shards, beads, and coins collected from Vizhinjam and Neendakara.
Records
On display at the exhibition on Kerala’s historical heritage were royal proclamations, government records, records of historic decisions, pictures of protected monuments, articles displaying exquisite artistry such as Manichithrathazhu, and the fear-instilling Chithravadhakkoodu , used in erstwhile Travancore for meting out capital punishment.