The beauty of Napier Museum

 

Trivandrum is a city of many beautiful heritage buildings & one among them stands majestically in the heart of it which is a landmark in itself. The beautiful Napier museum has been a signature monument of the city & Kerala for close to 2 centuries. The one unique aspect of the structure is that no other such building exists in India & the credit goes to the designer who had to fight off all conventional thoughts. The museum also stands within a large complex of the zoo enclosure which itself was a first in India. The museum & the building have many tales to say & for all who still come to this place to spend their time of the day, there are many aspects one should know. 

The need for a museum was initiated by Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the erstwhile ruler of Travancore in 1855 & a small structure was built in 1857 which was opened to the public. The museum acquired more items over the years but the structure was unable to hold the increasing number of priceless artefacts & it was Ayilam Thirunal who decided to build a grand structure. The need to build a grand museum was also keeping in mind the necessity to provide encouragement for artists to pursue art & crafts. The design of the museum was to be different as Ayilam Thirunal wanted the museum to attract everyone from around the world. The British resident at the time was approached by the ruler to suggest a person who could construct this grand structure. The then Governor of Madras Lord Napier suggested the name of the consultant architect of Madras - Robert Chisholm. The project was handed over to Chisholm in 1872 & he looked at many designs, was given many suggestion by the local architects but none could be finalised. Chisholm wanted the structure to create a sense of wonder among all & one that would broaden the design framework of structures. He came up with an Indo - Saracenic design which combined the styles of traditional Kerala architecture, Gothic, Islamic, Chinese & modern. The Travancore elite found the design to be too odd & he found in a bizarre situation to educate & teach the members of the court how they could with this design promote & widen their own art. The Travancore King finally gave his approval based on the rough design presented by Chisholm & work started on the museum. The construction of the museum was conducted in a grand manner & it took eight years to complete. The delay in completion was due to the long time taken in demolition of the old museum, safekeeping of the artefacts at the Kuthiramalika, getting approval & finding the correct artisans. The museum was finally completed & opened to the public in 1880.

The architecture of the Napier museum is what attracts all to this place & the design stands out perfectly due to its peculiar construction. The exterior of the museum is a combination of minarets, towers, terracotta roofs, stone brick designs & beautiful usage of colours. The whole structure stands on a large pedestal with stairs on all sides which raises it from the landscape of gardens around. The Chinese styled pagoda roofs give the museum a sight of it being larger than it actually is. The exterior front glass facade has tall panes adorned with circular pedestal galleries which have wooden carvings around. A strict geographic brickwork pattern is followed all around the exterior walls with beautiful colour combinations. The museum’s central quarter is surrounded on all four sides by towers made with stone each having a viewing gallery used to see the whole city of Trivandrum similar to watch towers at forts. The walls are designed with burnt bricks which give it a distinct reddish dark shade. The museum also stands over a lush green landscape & the colour used on the building makes it stand out from its surrounding. The other two quarters are similar in design to the central hall & are placed on two ends. The whole structure thus is on a rectangular base having one end facing the zoo & the other to the main road. The front edifice faces a large garden with a fountain. If the exterior was a marvel, the interior complimented equally or in many ways more. The design of double walls helped the structure create a natural air ventilation & it still intrigues many how the insides stay so cold even on humid days. A blend of all designs found all over the world is displayed inside the museum for all to see. The three halls inside the museum are connected by long corridors which are painted in a combination of blue, yellow & red. The huge halls were a necessity to house as many items & so the roofs of the halls were designed in such a way that no obstacle was present. The roofs of the central hall have wooden carvings along with traditional hand painted tiles which adorn the roof. The access to the tiny corridors on the upper floor is by narrow spiral stairs which are placed on corners so that they do not come into view. The side walls of the halls have balconies with carvings & many ornamental decorations. The roofs of the halls also have wooden arches along with Chinese dragon stuccos. The stained glasses on the side walls also are a reflection of gothic styles & the painting patterns are influenced from Mughal craftsmanship. The ceilings are painted in vibrant colours & decked with stones. One important design aspect is the presence of the emblem of Travancore kingdom - Valampiri Shanku which is carved on the wall giving it all the authority of being a government building.

The museum is a combination of artefacts of different types ranging from wood carvings, bronze statues, special items, coins, ivory carvings, Japanese shadow play leather items, Kathakali models, stone sculptures, metal lamps, musical instruments & a special gallery for south east Asian articles presented to Balarama Varma. 

At the museum there are many unique items & out of them one that stands out is the sword used by Velu Thampi Dalawa who was considered to be one of the first martyrs of the Indian freedom struggle. Velu Thampi was the Dalawa or Prime Minister to Maharaja Bala Rama Varma & was one of the most flamboyant of all the Dalawa who served the Travancore Kings. The sword was given as a present to the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad by the Kilimanoor palace & it was later placed in the museum in 2010. The sword is the first item one sees as they enter the museum & it is quite an unique artefact. Another large item displayed here is the Pushpaka Vimana used by the Travancore king Swathi Thirunal. The largest item one can see here is the temple rath which is a colossal 5 tiered wooden carved chariot narrating the stories from Mahabharata, Bhagwatham & other epics. 

The gallery of Bronze images is one which is a first in Kerala & its distinction is higher due to the display of items which are complete & have huge heritage value. The rare collection includes images of deities which are modelled based on the rules of Silpasastra. The statues range from the 8th century Pallava style to Chola & Vijayanagara designs. The oldest statue made in bronze is the beautiful image of Lord Vishnu said to be an example of exemplary craftsmanship. The gallery of wooden carvings also depict many images from the Hindu epics & some which were present at the namaskara mandapams in Kerala temples. A beautiful set of wooden craftsmanship is the royal dressing table, jewellery boxes & a grand replica of the Guruvayur temple. The stone images gallery has items from the 1st century with many from the Dravidian era & Buddhist statues of the bygone era. The items range from the 1st to the 18th century & the image of Sage Agastya is the most important in them. 

The ivory collection at the museum is one which catches your eye as the items displayed are one which is an example of the best craftsmanship. The most beautiful & delicately carved piece is that of the piece Radheshyam which is an image of Lord Krishna & Radha enjoying a moment of love. Another beautiful item are the images of Buddha. The metal lamps are also a rich collection here with a combination of temple & palace items displayed in its completeness.

The museum also has a dedicated gallery displaying the prized gifts and items presented or used by His highness Balarama Varma during his reign and is named the South East Asian gallery as most of the items are from different parts of Asia. Some of the other unique items housed in the museum are the rare Japanese shadow puppets made of leather which were used for performances. A section of the museum also displays musical instruments & household articles. The museum also has a small collection of coins making it a museum of high distinction in India and houses around 550 items. 

The Napier  museum has been part of the culture of Trivandrum & Kerala for around 150 years and in many ways is also what was at the centre point while designing the city. Today the museum is a place for people to socialise, perform recreational activities, spend time with families or take children for an outing. Whatever may be the reason for any visitor to come to Napier museum, one also needs to understand the importance of the heritage around them. The museum today still retains its charm & stands tall amongst the most iconic buildings one can see in Trivandrum & Kerala.