The Railways has set in motion the process of establishing a museum at Kumbakonam to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s historic visit to the temple town 120 years ago.
The establishment of the museum was announced in March by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu during a function held at the Kumbakonam railway station.
Consequent to the Minister’s announcement, the Railway Board’s Heritage Directorate had asked the Southern Railway administration to furnish details of land identified and the general layout for the proposed museum. The Board had also asked for the details at the earliest for appraisal of the Railway Minister.
Railway officials told The Hindu that the site for setting up the proposed museum on the railway land adjoining the Kumbakonam railway station had been identified by the Tiruchi divisional railway authorities.
The officials said the proposed museum would come up on an area of 2,400 square metres near the Kumbakonam station which was over 140 years old.
The layout had been prepared and would soon be forwarded to the Southern Railway headquarters for onward submission to the Railway Board’s Heritage Directorate at New Delhi.
The officials said the Union Ministry of Culture would be involved in the establishment of the museum.
The Railway Board has said funds for the proposed museum could be mobilised from MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund) and Ministry of Culture resources.
It was in Kumbakonam on January 26, 1897 when Swami Vivekananda gave the clarion call “Arise, Awake and Stop not till the goal is reached” during a visit.
A plaque has been installed at the Kumbakonam Railway Station in this regard. The museum is being set up to commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s visit, said the officials.
