Museum on temple arts, rituals coming up in Kerala

Kochi:  The Kerala government is building a unique museum that throws light and promotes research on the state's temple arts and allied rituals at an ancient town in Thrissur district.

The proposed repository at an estimated cost of Rs 3.69 crore will be the first of its kind in southern India and is set to come up in Kodungallur town, known primarily for its two-millennium-old shrine, said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Called Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple, the Chera era religious complex is poised for conservation and facelift under the Muziris Heritage Project (MHP), according to the minister, who also holds the Devaswom portfolio.

Steps are on to renovate the dining hall (oottupura) and the administrative wing (kacherippura) of the temple renowned for its deity of goddess Kali and spirit of the shakti cult, he said at a function convened in Kodungallur Sunday to announce the government's package on conservation.

The endeavour is in continuance with the government's efforts to save the region's ancient monuments and traditions.

The revamp will stick to international standards and the rules set by the country's archaeological authorities, Surendran pointed out.

None of the old buildings will be dismantled; instead they would be given reinforcements that provide a fresh lease of life and guarantee longer existence, he was quoted as saying in a release here.

As for the proposed museum, it will be a new structure which the government will build on a plot sanctioned by the Devaswom department that administers the state's temples, the minister clarified.

The seaport of Kodungallur, with its multi-religious culture encompassing Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, had been among the key belts of human advancement that came to an abrupt end owing to a natural calamity in 1341.