KOCHI: The Bastion Bungalow which was declared a heritage museum won’t open to the public when the Kochi Muziris Biennale kicks off this year. Though that was part of the original plan, officials with the Kerala Museum History and Heritage said the project won’t take off anytime soon.
“The project is too large-scale to be completed within the stipulated time. Initially, we had thought we could open the museum when artists and tourists land in Kochi for the Kochi- Muziris Biennale. The Bastion Bungalow has a heart and grandiose to its splendour and if our culture has to be showcased through this museum, it needs to be uniquely done which will take time. We have roped in Delhi-based agency Eka Consortium for the project. They have completed surveys of the interiors of the Bungalow. The DPR will take three months to complete,” said Chandran Pillai, executive director, Kerala Museum History and Heritage, which is the nodal agency that has been assigned the task.
According to Chandran Pillai, the museum will boast of replicas of Kerala artefacts and documents from across the globe which will be sourced from international museums like the London Museum.
“Many of us are not even aware that a portion of our history and culture are stored in forms of documents and artefacts in various museums across the globe. Kerala Museum History and Heritage along with Eka Consortium will trace these museums and hold talks with the concerned officials. Getting the Royalty for each of these replicas will be a laborious task and is expected to take some time,” he said.
The 450-year old Portuguese structure is one of the oldest buildings in Kerala.
“We already have several museums in Kochi which speak a lot about our history and culture. But the Bastion Bungalow museum will be different in the way it will present Kerala’s story,” Chandran said.
K J Maxi MLA, who has been pushing the government to open the Bungalow for the tourists by this year-end, was not available for comments.
According to the Bastion Bungalow in-charge officer K Jayashree, the campus of the Bastion Bungalow is already open and many tourists are visiting the place.