Napier Museum A Landmark Of Importance And Striking Architecture

Kerala is a state located towards the south western part of the Indian peninsula

. This culturally prosperous state boasts a rich history spanning up to the Neolithic era, where some of the dolmens have been excavated. Dolmens are single chamber tomb structures made of megaliths, hefty stones. Often dolmens are comprised of three or more vertical megaliths, capped horizontally by another bulky stone.

Kerala is home to a number of interesting museums themed on scores of disciplines varying from heritage to art and history to science. There are also museums based on royal palaces flaunting mesmerizing architecture and artistry housing alluring artefacts. Kerala also presents a unique museum promoting art and natural history. This is the famous Napier Museum resting in Keralas capital, Trivandrum. .

Napier Museum and its Art Gallery rest in the heart of Trivandrum City. It was founded in 1855 by Travancores Maharaja. Travancore used to be a princely state of Kerala, governed from Trivandrum by the royal family of Travancore from mid 19th century to mid 20th century. In 1874 this building was brought down and the foundation stone was placed for a new building to rise from the same site. The second building was completed in 1880 and was named after the previous Governor General of Madras, John Napier.

A palm lined path, stairway and then an ornate fountain guides you to the Napier Museum. Instantly your eyes will capture its captivating facade adorned with vibrant geometric motifs spanning across its walls. The building features gothic gabled roofs where the central roof is flanked by two turrets adding extra elegance to its overall charisma. This building is a key landmark in Trivandrum while being exalted as an architectural masterpiece. It was designed by the renowned British architect Robert F. Chisholm who worked as the consulting architect for the Madras Government.

Napier Museums interior collection is just as impressive as its exterior elegance. Here you can browse through some of the finest artistic artefacts like bronze and stone sculptures as well as ivory and wood carvings. There are also traditional musical instruments over and above handicrafts, lamps and textiles. Among Indian classical dancing, Kathakali is considered as a highly stylised dancing form and the Napier Museum even boasts a collection of Kathakali models.

For those who are fond of collecting coins, the museums numismatic collection showcasing coins of several Indian dynasties will be irresistible. If you are fascinated by ancient weaponry, the museum displays some of the best kuftgiri works. They are usually daggers and swords ornately worked in gold and silver wire.

Napier Museum is one of the must visit attractions in Trivandrum that you simply cannot miss during your visit to Kerala. Spend your nights at one of the cosy hotels in Kovalam and keep your days occupied by exploring the beauty, culture and heritage of Kerala. If you prefer staying at a hotel near sweeping sandy beaches with vistas of stunning seascapes try The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach, Kerala. It is one of the top Kovalam hotels that offer sumptuous rooms and suites to relax and an excellent Ayurveda spa to rejuvenate after a long day of sightseeing and exploring.

by: Pushpitha Wijesinghe

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