subject: Napier Museum, Trivandrum, India [print this page] Napier Museum, Trivandrum, India Napier Museum, Trivandrum, India
Thiruvananthapuram or Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, is one of the leading tourist destinations in India. And when you are in Trivandrum, you should surely take a visit to the Napier Museum!
The Napier Museum is a popular art and natural history museum situated in Trivandrum. Although the museum was first established in 1855, the old Museum Building was demolished in 1874 and the foundation for a new building was laid. The new building, named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras from 1866-1872, acquired prominence as a remarkable architectural masterpiece. Designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting architect of the Madras Government, the construction of the new building was completed in 1880. The Museum grounds also showcase a Zoological garden, which is regarded as one of the oldest in India.
A renowned landmark in the city, the Napier Museum is known for its rare and exquisite ornamentation and marvelous architectural style that comprise gothic roofs, tall minarets, stained glass windows and the use of bright colors such as blue, pink, yellow, red and white. Elegantly constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style, the splendid arches, finely carved balconies, red and white grilles and stone ornamentations would surely hold a visual treat for you! The museum also provides a natural air conditioning system. It houses a fabulous collection of numerous archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a massive temple chariot and beautiful ivory carvings. The museum also hosts the Sri Chitra Art Gallery, which contains works of some of the most eminent artists such as Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, as well as fascinating specimens of Mughal and Tanjore art.
The museum displays a rare idol of Vishnu that dates back to the 8th century. The idol has been retrieved from the Ambalapuzha temple and is regarded as the oldest known metal image in Kerala. The stone sculptures in the museum too belong to the same time period. A prominent attraction is the sculpture called Shiva with Sati. A 400 year old clock and a herbal coat worn by the Maharajas of Travancore are some of the other fascinating attractions.
