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| Rani Mangammal Mahal, façade, Tiruchi. hellotravel.com |
That Rani Mangammal Mahal where a state museum is housed is undergoing restoration work is a good news for the monument lovers. Parts of the museum are closed and the exhibits packed and kept safely away. Some of the exhibits have been moved to the front. Upon restoration, on display will be exhibits that highlight Tiruchi city's rich history including the colonial period and its local traditions and specialty.
Rani Mangammal Mahal in Tiruchirappalli is a heritage building built in 1666 CE by Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai Nayak Dynasty who ruled Madurai and other parts. Close to the important land mark of Tiruch Rockfort temple, it was used by Rani Mangammal as the Durbar hall as it was the seat of power and capital from 1616 to 1634 and later from 1665 to 1731. Rani Mangammal Mahal or Kolu Mandapam was earlier known as Chokkanatha Nayak Palace. Earlier their capital was Madurai. This palace is the last surviving palace in Tiruchi district.
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| interior, Rani Mangammal Mahal , Tiruchi. trichyonline.in |
In 1983 a museum was established by the State Department of Museums at Cantonment after Salem and Madurai, as the then government wanted to start a museum in each district with a view to educating the people on the rich culture and tradition of Tamil Nadu and also of India. It was a well conceived idea as the museum was instructive and educative to the public, in particular, to students. Subsequently, the museum was shifted to Rani Mangammal Durbar Hall during 1997 which is within Town Hall Complex. Managed by PWD the museum is functioning here for more than 20 years.
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| .Rani Mangammal mahal, Tiruchi. Govt. museum.trichyonline.in |
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| pottery of Tamils civilization Govt. Museum Tiruchi. en.wikipedia.org |
The government museum has a good collection of exhibits on display covering various fields like anthropology, epigraphy, history, zoology ( covers a collection of rare insects, birds and mammals), geology ( covers rocks, minerals and fossils, etc.), and paintings, There are more than 2000 indoor and outdoor exhibits and these include artefacts like megalithic sculptures, carvings, Stone Age inscriptions, musical instruments, tools, currencies and Chola-era coins, paintings, etc. Also included are rare photos, rare documents, palm-leaf manuscripts, fossils Mostly from the Ariyalur area of Cretaceous age) , tribal life of pachamalai & Kohli hills, weapon and cannon balls used by Hyder Ali of Mysore kingdom in the 18th century. There is a small section on philately. In 2012 a Sculpture park was opened that included a vast array of sculptures and idols of Hindu gods and goddesses covering 13th century to 18th century. Rare sculptures include God Vishnu (Thirumal), Durga, Tamil saint Sri Manickavasagar (16th century; builder of Avudaiyar koil, in Pudukkottai district)
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| restoration of Rani Mangammal Mahal, Tiruchi. thehindu.com |
A good news for the heritage lovers is in February 2020 the Union Govt. govt announced that the heritage building - the Rani Mangammal Mahal, housing the Government Museum in Tiruchi would undergo repairs and restoration soon and a sum of Rs. 3.85 crore had been set aside for this project. As it is a heritage structure experienced conservationists would be given the job to carry out the work without disturbing the heritage elements in the structure. The construction materials used in the conservation work will be in sync with those used centuries ago to retain the old charm and glory. Murals accidentally discovered under several layers of lime coating and paint during the early repair work would be taken care of under expert guidance. as recommended, natural dyes would be used to paint the murals. As for structural restoration work, PWD sought the help of conservationists from Jharkhand. To maintain authenticity, experts will study the old photos and related texts. PWD hoped that the project would be completed over a period of 18 months. The old building's roof will be carefully repaired including domes and minarets. They plan to remove cement patches all over the structure to ''showcase the building as it was,'' The Union culture ministry had initiated the renovation work .and .the renovation work aimed at modernizing the museum. The 354 year old Nayak-era building will get a face lift as part of the union govt. project.
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| Nayak palace, Tiruchi, TNcommons.wikimedia.org |
Above image: This is a 1858 photo of the 'Chokkanatha Nayak Palace', now known as 'Rani Mangammal Mahal'. It is close to the Rock Fort complex of Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu. Built in mid 17th century the palace now houses the TN Government Museum. Way past it underwent major repair work. Presently it is undergoing renovation work that may be completed pretty soon in he early part of 2022. Nayak Dynasty of Madurai and also Thanjavur originally governors of Vijayanagara Empire, and as their vassals they were ruling southern Tamil Nadu with Madurai as their early capital from 1559 until 1736............................
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Museum,_Tiruchirappalli
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