Four museums opened under Muziris Project

Tourists will hereafter get a chance to learn the rich bygone era of a "lost port city" of Muziris (Kodungalloor in Thrissur district), which played a crucial role in moulding the socio-politico culture of the state, with the opening of four museums under the Muziris Heritage Project.

The museums available for visitors are the Kerala History Museum, housed in the Paliam Kovilakam, Kerala Lifestyle Museum in Paliam Nalukettu, Kerala Jews Historical Museum housed in Paravur Synagogue and Kerala Jews Lifestyle Museum in Chendamangalam Synagogue, all in the Ernakulam district. All the museums are equipped with video screens, touch screens and information panels to help visitors understand the rich history of the region.

Kerala tourism director S Harikishore, opened the museums for public on Sunday. He said the mega heritage project, under the project, would be inaugurated after the completion of visitors centre, activity centre, convention and research centres and hop on-hop off boat service.

"We decided to open the museums for public as we completed the conservation projects on time and deployed the staff and guides in the museums. In addition to the four museums, people can also visit heritage sites like Pattanam, Paravur Market, Chavittunatakam Performance centre at Gothuruth, Pallipuram Fort (Ernakulam district), Kottappuram Fort, Kottapuram Market and Cheraman Juma Masjid, India's first Muslim prayer hall, in Thrissur district.

Harikishore said the museums would remain open from 10 am to 5 pm on all days except Monday.

"The Muziris Heritage Project is one of the biggest conservation projects in the modern history of India. It is because of this magnitude that both the central and state governments have come together to conserve and showcase a culture of more than three millennia," said minister of tourism AP Anil kumar.

The project gives people an opportunity to walk through the same route once travelled by explorers and traders in the ancient Muziris.

Paliam Kovilakam was the residence of Paliath Achans, who were prime ministers to the erstwhile maharajas of Kochi in the 16th century. An architectural wonder with its carved stairways and balustrades, the Paliam Kovilakam is situated at Chendamangalam, a village near Kochi.

The 18th century Paliam Nalukettu was where the female members and minor boys of the Paliam family lived.

The project site is spread across North Paravur municipality in Ernakulam district and Kodungallur municipality in Thrissur district with 12 villages--Chendamangalam, Chittatukara, Vadakkekara, Pallipuram, Eriyad, Mala, Mathilakam, Poyya, Puthenvelikkara, Sree Narayana Puram, Vellangalore and Edavilangu.

The project focuses on sustainability and involvement of local communities in heritage tourism. The project follows international guidelines such as the UNESCO Charters on heritage conservation, said Kerala Tourism secretary, Suman Billa.

The museums will provide the people an insight into multi-layered history of the ancient port city, which had disappeared sometime after the 1st century AD.