By the side of Jubilee Road near Dutch Square lies a 200-year-old structure with great historical significance.
The two-storey Norton Bungalow (Mission Bungalow), the residence of Thomas Norton — the first Church Mission Society (CMS) missionary in Travancore — is today a sorry sight and in danger of crumbling.
A plan to conserve Norton Bungalow and turn it into a museum under the Alappuzha Heritage project has run into rough weather due to stiff opposition from a section of Church of South India (CSI) members. Thomas Norton, his wife and two-year-old son sailed from Plymouth in England and reached Kochi in May 1816. He later moved to Alappuzha and established a church there.
₹3.25-cr. project
The ₹3.25-crore project was proposed as a joint initiative of the State government and the CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese.
“A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the Church to transform the structure into a missionary museum. From the government side, we have prepared a detailed project report and awarded the work to a contractor several months ago. But, things have come to a standstill after CSI authorities asked us to halt the process,” says P.M. Noushad, managing director, Muziris Spice Route Heritage Project.
Lack of consensus
CSI authorities say that there is a lack of consensus among its members.
“There is a lack of support for the project, especially from members of the local church. We have already informed the government of the situation. Although a final decision is pending, it is unlikely the project will get the necessary endorsement,” says Simon John, lay secretary, CSI Madhya Kerala Diocese.
Mr. John admits that the structure is in a dilapidated state and something should be done before the southwest monsoon sets in to protect it. “A subcommittee has been constituted to look into the matter,” he says.
The property was donated to the CMS by Rani Gowri Parvathi Bayi, the then Regent of Travancore in the 19th century.
Earlier, the bungalow was given to the National Cadet Corps on lease and it failed to vacate the place after using it for 40 years.
This led to a long-drawn legal battle, with the court ruling in favour of the Church in 2016.
MoU
As per the MoU, the government will renovate the bungalow. Both the government and the Church will jointly run the museum for 20 years.
A member of the Church will be appointed manager. The entire property will remain with the Church.
