The museum was founded in 2011 with the co-operation of the Departments of Archaeology, Archives and Tourism in a building named Park View, which was the residence of the Chief Secretary during the rule of the Travancore dynasty. The first interactive museum in South India, it has eight galleries which lays out to the visitor the stages of evolution in Kerala, beginning with the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, and finally leading to the traditional history of the state. It is thus a walk through the history and culture of the state.
The replicas found here require special mention as they include one of the Naalukettu house, the traditional house of Kerala, along with the kitchen of the Naalukettu with all its associated artefacts, and an excavation trench from a megalithic site in Kollam. The art forms of Kerala like mural paintings, Kolamezhuthu, and so on are also housed by the museum.
The replica of the excavation trench at the megalithic site of Mangad, Kollam. The buried urn and pottery are visible. This represents one of the major prehistoric periods of India, the Megalithic period.
The traditional houses of Kerala are known as 'Naalukettu', i.e., ones with an inner courtyard. Here, the kitchen of these houses have been replicated with all the artefacts that were used at one point of time. This shows the traditional utensils used in a typical Kerala home.
Beetel leaf consumption is a common practice of the people of Kerala, and the people of ancient times used to carry utensils made of bronze which they used for the preparation of the beetel leaf. The areca nut was placed inside the leaf and consumed.
The Devidarpanam is a symbolic image of the the Goddess where she is represented as a mirror. This was used in temples for making rounds during festivals, although it is not very common today.
The image is that of Brahma known in Hindu mythology as the Creator, a part of the Trinity. Made of wood, the image is shown in a yogic pose with all features characteristic of Brahma including the rosary beads, the kamandalu, and so on.
₹20 for adults
₹10 for children (12-15 years)
Foreign nationals:
₹200 for adults
₹50 for children
₹25 for still camera