Museum of Kerala History: A must visit for all

 

Museums for all are places which house important artefacts having a certain theme or featuring rare items from history. These are places of good information to understand the many facets of history in a visual avatar. One such museum which is a great place of education is the Museum of History in Ernakulam which according to us is the best way one can understand the heritage of Kerala in a beautifully designed audio visual medium. The museum is a privately owned museum & was opened to the general public in 1987 by the celebrated philanthropist & historian R Madhavan Nayar. His insights & efforts made this museum a reality and has been giving its visitors a unique experience. 

The museum is not a place where you can find heritage antiques but it’s a place which has life size replicas of different personalities who have been part of different events along the history of Kerala and tableau. One has to follow a well synchronised light & audio presentation where the visitor moves in a circle to face the tableau & hear the story behind the event of personality in front. It’s one of the best ways to make a person understand the history & the content of the voiceover is crisp & quite informative in a short duration. The audio visual presentation is on two floors of the central hall. 

The presentation starts with the depiction of early people who lived a nomadic life curing trees & hunting for sustenance. 

The depiction of Nannan of Ezhimala is one that possibly is only available to see which makes one remember this early ruler of Kerala who was a ferocious king known to punish his enemies & people in the same order. 

The story of Senguvattan who is the earliest recorded Chera King some 2000 years back gives one a lineage of how the culture of people was developed. 

The next tableau of Ay Andiran depicts the rule of the Ay dynasty which ruled the southern portion of the land & was known to have good trade relations with China & the east. 

As you move ahead the depiction of Aryan life is noteworthy which narrates the story of the immigration of the Aryan race around 1000 BC which is still dominant in South India. 

Kerala as a land has been the entry point for all the important religions into the east & one such person who arrived in 52 AD is the most revered apostle St Thomas at Kodungallur which is highlighted here. 

The life of Shankaracharya is also highlighted who was the most learned man of scriptures in Hindu race. 

The prosperity of the land of Kerala is credited to the Chera kings & one such important ruler was Kulesekhara Alwar who after abdication of the throne is said to have spent his remaining years as a priest at the Srirangam temple. 

After Kulesekhara Alwar came one of the most important kings in the history of Kerala, Cheraman Perumal who was a great patron of all religions & gave land to all who wanted to preach their way of God.

The next in line of history is the depiction of a meeting between the Syrian Christian Head Mar Sapir Iso & Ayyan Adikal who was the governor of Venad where the rules of trade were drafted.

The Jews found Kerala the most hospitable land after they were persecuted from all other parts & the meeting of Joseph Rabban with Cochin Raja Bhaskara Ravi Varman is considered to be the most notable moment in the history of Jews. 

The next depiction is of Devadasis which in Kerala was a temple dance performance unlike the current thought of it being a form of exploiting women. 

Ravi Varma Kulesekhara who crowned himself the Emperor of South India in the start of the 13th century stands with all glory here.

The Portuguese became the first Europeans to arrive and capture the land, so no history of Kerala is complete without the mention of the most talked about navigator Vasco Da Gama whose adventure over the seas created a trade route from Europe to Asia. 

The part of Malabar has seen many important events in history & none bigger than Mamankam which was conducted by the Valluvanad Kolathiris as a grand trade festival & later became a venue for the chavers who vowed their life to kill the Zamorins is also depicted here. 

The Kalaraipayattu martial arts which is a signature of Kerala culture is also shown here.

The next individual who is celebrated here is Kunhali Marakkar whose family were the naval chiefs of the Zamorin Raja and have been at the forefront of many great battles at sea. 

The arrival of Christianity into Kerala was by way of St Thomas & his people were called Saint Thomas Christians who followed the Syrian way of life but the arrival of Portuguese & Latin clergy caused a rift between Christians with the European Jesuits force converting the Syrian Christians which resulted in the most unique form of protest called the Oath of Coonan cross in the 17th century well depicted here. 

Many kings have altered the cultural fabric of Kerala in history & none is more celebrated than the great king Marthanda Varma who is well placed here. 

The most envied king is also present here for all to see, Tipu Sultan who was a warrior King expanding his Mysore Kingdom along Malabar is also shown here. 

The second floor is a place which mostly celebrates the cultural fabric of people in Kerala & how each person played an important role. The presentation starts with the most beautiful vibrant dance form of Kerala, the Kathakali and different styles are shown here. 

The Zamorins may not have been depicted much here but the annual festival of Revathi Pattathanam which was a big event in Malabar celebrating the Brahmanical literary knowledge is shown here. 

Kerala has been a land from where great patrons have given the world many mediums of information & one such is the knowledge of Astronomy which is credited to Sankaranarayanan from the 9th century who wrote in detail about the heavenly bodies. 

The language of Malayalam could not have been accessible to all unless Thunjathu Ezhuthachan made it easier for all to learn, the father of Malayalam language sits in his unique posture here. 

The Portuguese may have caused many difficulties for people of Kerala but the Dutch who succeeded them were more civil and their influence of the cultural fabric is depicted in the meeting of Van Reede with Itti Achuthan. 

The folklore of Kerala is one that is still talked about around the world and the mention of Kunjan Nambiar & his Ottanthullal is necessary to complete any such debate which is also shown here. 

Among the many rulers of Kerala, one person who is credited for being a great administrator is the cochin Raja Shakthan Thampuran & he stands strong with all grandeur. 

Most rulers in history were known to have been liked by their subjects & one such great ruler who fought for the independence of his people is Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, his unique battle tactic of Guerrilla warfare is highlighted here. 

If Pazhassi is celebrated, so is the most elusive character of Travancore, the brave Velu Thampi Dalawa who is also seen here. 

When it comes to Travancore, the mention of Swathi Thirunal is important who was a great patron of arts & music. 

The presence of Herman Gundert among all the local rulers & personalities shows why his contribution in literary progress of Malayalam is still considered to be invaluable. 

If Swathi Thirunal was celebrated for his art prowess, one person who cannot be left out from history is Raja Ravi Varma whose paintings still are an example of exemplary artistic beauty. Sri Chithira Thirunal who is credited for the infrastructural credentials of Travancore & present design of Trivandrum as a city is also present here. 

Cochin as a city became a hub for activities & later a cosmopolitan place by the efforts of a man who changed the design of this port city, Sir Robert Bristow who was an engineer with the British is said to be responsible for boosting the economic prosperity of Cochin. 

The presentation finally ends with the tableau showing the start of the communist movement in Kerala which became the base of the Independence movement & finally giving rise to the first communist government through a democratic way of election; many of the iconic faces of the movement can be seen here. 

As you descend down the steps & walk out of the building you will have acquired a lot of knowledge about the beautiful land of Kerala & it is most appropriate to find the statue of the man who is said to be the creator of Kerala at the entrance, Parasurama. 

The museum is not just about these life size statues & the audio presentation, there are other galleries too which are as important. The doll gallery is a one of a kind where dolls of different styles are placed for one to see, some are of ethnic societies in India, some of academic importance & some are placed which highlight the cultural wealth of India. The other gallery is an Art & paintings gallery which features the work of some of the most eminent painters of the current & past era. The walk along the different galleries gives one a sense of empowerment realising that one is passing along centuries of history. The miniature gallery also is a good place to see the paintings of Mughals & Rajputs. 

All the time spent at this museum is worth every moment & each person young or old should certainly make a visit here to see everything first-hand. One should also not forget to thank the efforts of the Madhavan Nayar foundation for having curated this beautiful place. To all parents, a valuable advice is to take their children to the museum & make them understand the vibrant history of Kerala.