If Lady Luck shines on Sreepadam Palace - which was once earmarked for setting up a numismatic museum - it will get converted into the district heritage museum soon. The Department of Archaeology is setting up district heritage museums in five districts this year and Sreepadam has won the lot to host it in the capital. The idea of the numismatic museum, which had gathered dust, is also being refreshed.
The state government has entrusted the Keralam-Museum of History and Heritage, who are the consultants of boutique museums in the state - with the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the district heritage museums.
‘’The government has identified five districts in the first year where there are already small museums which could be converted to heritage museums. Sreepadam Palace which houses the headquarters of the Archaeology Department is spacious enough for the project in Thiruvananthapuram. The DPR will be submitted in a month detailing as to how the palace could showcase the heritage museum as well as the numismatic museum,’’ said S Raimon, executive director of Keralam Museum.
In 2007, when Sreepadam Palace was taken over by the state from the Travancore royal family spending Rs 1.7 crore, the idea was to transform it into a numismatic museum. ‘’We have perhaps the largest collection of coins in the country, especially Roman gold coins, which have been kept at various places now. Under the new project, we will earmark an entire section for a numismatic museum,’’ said Raimon, reiterating that the idea has not been dropped.
The Department of Culture has granted Rs 14 crore to the Archaeology Department for setting up district heritage museums in all districts. ‘’We have zeroed in on five museums in the first year to be converted into heritage museums. They are, Sreepadam in Thiruvananthapuram; Bastion Bungalow in Fort Kochi; Mural Art Museum at Chembukavu; Pazhassi Kudeeram in Wayanad; and Velu Thampi Dalawa Museum in Mannadi, Pathanamthitta.
They will carry a slice of the heritage of the respective places, though the details are only being worked out,’’ said Director-in-charge of Archaeology Department J Rejikumar.