THANJAVUR: Two and a half years since the announcement of the project in the Assembly, the state government last week floated tenders for the construction of the Grand Chola Museum in Thanjavur at a cost of Rs 51.08 crore.
The tender was e-published on December 26, expecting the project to be completed in about two years. In the annual budget speech of 2023-24, the then finance minister, Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, announced in the Assembly that “Tamil art, music, architecture, sculpture, crafts and dance reached their pinnacle during the Chola period and their glory spread far and wide.
To highlight the contribution of the Cholas who ruled the world, and to preserve artefacts and relics of that age, a ‘Grand Chola Museum’ will be set up in Thanjavur.” Following this, the government scouted for a suitable place in Thanjavur and zeroed in on a land parcel spread over 6.39 acres on the Medical College Road in Thanjavur which is located around 1.5 km from the Big Temple. An architect consultant was engaged and a DPR was prepared subsequently. Based on the report, the tenders were called for recently.