Bay Island Driftwood Museum located at the picturesque
village of Kumarakom in Kottayam district, the museum demonstrates a wide range
of driftwood artifacts collected by Mrs. Raji Punnoose.
While she is working
as a teacher in the Andaman Islands of Bay of Benagal was fascinated by the
amazing shapes and sizes of quality driftwoods. Twisted roots, tree trunks and
twigs piled on seashore ignited her imagination. She discovered potential
artistic possibility in what appeared to be waste materials. Each year
turbulent sea waves drown parts of mangrove forests ashore. The trees washed
away by salty waves are seasoned naturally by the sea and sun. What remains
after the corroding process is the sturdiest part of the tree.
After picking up the pieces of driftwood, follows the
rigorous process of cleaning, scraping, trimming and polishing. In this process
the original design crafted by nature becomes more obvious. The ultimate shape
is decided after surveying the forms and contours.
The admirers and connoisseurs of this rare and innovative
form of art frequent the Bay Island Driftwood Museum. The student community
finds the art form adopted in the preparation of the exhibits in the museum
interesting and educative as the museum inculcates in them the qualities of
imagination, creativity, originality, and initiation to produce useful articles
out of materials normally considered waste
The Limca Book of Records has certified that Bay Island
Museum ( est 2001) located in kumarakom, kerala, the only drift wood museum,
showcases objects that have been painstakingly recovered and collected from the
andaman seas and beaches by Raji
Punnoose (proprietor and curator) during her career as a post graduate teacher
in the islands.
Working hours in between
10am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday.
How to Reach:
Nearest Railway Station: Kottayam.
Nearest Airport: Cochin International Airport.
Phone Numbers:
Museum: 0481 2526223
mob:
9447464296
