THOOTHUKUDI: Preparations at the Adichanallur on-site museum, which will be inaugurated by union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman on August 5, are in full swing. Archaeological Survey India (ASI) has developed the iconic on-site museum with ancient antiquities and urn burials in in-situ position. The finance minister will also lay the foundation stone for the construction of an ASI museum, located one kilometre away from the on-site museum at Adichanallur on the same day.
The on-site museum has been established at the hillock spread over 114 acres located near the Thamirabarani river. Two quadrants of trenches have been shielded by a toughened glass on the top. "The public can walk on top of the glass and see the excavated antiquities such as ancient pottery, artefacts, skeleton and funeral articles in its in-situ position. It is the first of its kind in India. Such facilities are available in Europe, China and other Asian countries," said Dr T Arun Raj, Director, Institute of Archaeology, New Delhi.
The museum has been covered by a shelter to protect the facility from nature's fury. It may be noted that the union government proposed to set up five iconic sites with on-site museums at Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Shivsagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu) in February 2020. Adichanallur site is the first to be inaugurated.