Napier Museum

The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India.[1]

Napier Museum നേപ്പ്യർ കാഴ്ച ബെംഗ്ളാവ്
Established1855
LocationThiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
TypeArt museum, Archaeology museum

Location/Timings

The museum is about 6 km from the city. Visiting Hours: Open 10.00 - 16.45 hrs. Closed on Mondays, Wednesday forenoons, 26 January, 15 August, Thiruvonam and Mahanavami.[2]

History

The museum was established in 1855.[3] In 1874, the old Museum Building was demolished and foundation for the new building was laid. The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras from 1866-1872.

Design

The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government, and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo-Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.

Features

The museum houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. It also contains the Sree Chitra Art Gallery, which contains works from Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, as well as examples of Mughal and Tanjore art.

The Museum grounds also hold the famous Trivandrum Zoo, which is one of the oldest zoological gardens in India. This Zoo was established in 1857 and is spread over 55 acres (220,000 m2) of land.

References
  1. "Kovalam". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  2. "Napier Museum, Sree Chithra Art Gallery, Museum Compound, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India". Keralatourism.org. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  3. "Napier Museum in India , The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. The ..." www.greatarchaeology.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.