The Archaeological Museum( Formerly known as Sree Mulam
Chithrasala Archaeological Museum), Thrissur was started as Sree Mulam
Chithrasala (picture Gallery) in 1938 under the auspices of the Govt.of Cochin.
Initially situated at the Town Hall Road, the museum now stands tall and
delightful at the Kollengode Palace. The vast collection of murals and relics
from all over Kerala make this museum an architectural marvel to view. The
museum also houses life-size statues of famous and eminent personalities like
kings, famous artists, tribal chiefs etc. Many intricately created miniature
models of old buildings and temples are carefully preserved here. Firmly placed
are the manuscripts, known as olagrandhangal, that store the written history of
the place, penned on dry palm leaves. Most of the artifacts displayed at the
museum were recovered from the forests of Thrissur and Wayanad districts.
The Archaeological Museum is popular for the beautifully
copied mural paintings, considered to be masterworks of artists, like T.R.
Madhava Warrior, V.S. Unni Nair, and N.O. Antony. One of the pride possessions
of the museum is a rare collection of stone engravings and carvings, called
Veerakallu in the local language. Other exhibits on display at the museum
include an array of megalithic wares and pottery, urn burials, russet coated
wares, Stone Age tools, items excavated from north Indian civilizations like
Harappa and Indus Valley Civilization, stone sculptures dating back to the 7th
century, and bronze sculptures dating back to the 10th century. The Museum has
the largest collection of excavated materials from Megalithic Sites in Kerala.
Excavated materials from Nenmeni Village, near Kollangode also are exhibited in
this Museum.
The museum is a treasure of ancient artifacts set up in a
building, constructed by the king of Kollangode for his daughter. The building
showcases a unique blend of traditional Kerala architecture with Western
designing. The Archaeological Museum at Thrissur is a place where history comes
alive in all its forms, be it painting, sculpture, culture, religion,
performing arts, architecture, or literature. The archaeologists consider the
museum to be one of the most complete museums in India in terms of availability
of artifacts and diversity in the types of remnants.
Visiting time:
Museum- 10 am to 5 pm.The
museum is open to public all days except Mondays
How to Reach:
Nearest Railway Station: Thrissur
Nearest Airport: Cochin international Airport
