KOCHI: There is no dearth of art galleries or museums in Kochi. And each one reveals interesting chapters of history. Some have their own history to say, too. One such museum is the Indian Maritime Naval Museum in Fort Kochi.
The museum consists of two enclosures that were initially World War II bunkers. In 1938, the Brits had built two fortified bunkers in Kochi to store arms and ammunition. Wary of the Japanese, who had reached up to Burman shores, the Brits constructed these bunkers a year before the war broke out. The Japanese forces did not make it, and the bunkers remained intact.
Decades later, in 2001, the Southern Naval Command decided to turn the space into a museum. Here, one can track the maritime history of Kerala, and see antiques of the Indian Navy.
The museum drags one into a bygone era. Those with a liking for the military will certainly be left in awe.
“In addition to ancient and modern shipbuilding models and artefacts, the museum documents Kerala’s naval history,” says senior curator Jerard George Joseph. “The first bunker has has 3D displays of the port cities of yore, and describes the Portuguese and Dutch invasions. It tells the story of Vasco da Gama and the resistance of heroes like Kunjali Marakkar.”
In second bunker, there is a projector show dedicated to the Indian Navy, its warships, exercises, achievements, etc. “Some of the original missiles used at the time of the famous attack on Karachi during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, and the Seaking anti-submarine warfare helicopter are the showstoppers here,” says Jerard.
Other exhibits here include naval flags, evolution of officers’ uniforms, badges and the naval insignia. Swords and other mementos gifted by the families of top naval officers are also displayed. The space between the two bunkers houses naval weaponry -- rockets, mines, torpedoes, radars, anti-aircraft guns, etc. “Some models are obsolete, others still in use,” says a museum guard.
Jerard says many Kochiites are unaware of such a museum. Some also mistake it to be a restricted defence area, he adds. “On Independence Day, we offered free entry. Over 3,000 people visited the museum on that day,” Jerard notes, with pride.
There & then
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As the Indian Navy celebrates its 75th anniversary, the museum has added a new block showcasing the the country’s naval achievements.