Gandhi Memorial Museum Madurai Renovation: Peace Museum Reopens May

It was the first of five museums built to honour Gandhi, later declared a Peace Museum by the United Nations, and houses the blood-stained clothes Mahatma Gandhi was wearing on the day he was assassinated. Since 1959, the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai has stood as a powerful reminder of a life that helped build a free nation. Now, work is on to restore the heritage site to its former glory.

Renovations on the two wings that will house the memorial to Gandhi and India’s freedom struggle, being carried out at `10 crore, are almost done, with the site set to reopen by the first week of May. Chief minister M K Stalin made the announcement of the renovation in 2022 during his Independence Day address. The heritage wing of the public works department has been tasked with the project.

Originally, the building that housed the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai was the Tamukkam Palace, which belonged to Rani Mangammal of the Nayak Dynasty and was built about 1670AD. For many years the palace was the official residence of the British collector in Madurai. In 1955, the palace, with about 13 acres, was gifted to the All India Gandhi Smarak Nidhi by the state govt to house the Museum.

The two wings on each side of the palace are being renovated to hold the memorial to Gandhi. They will feature two separate AV rooms and four galleries, with interactive digital displays accompanied by a tour guide to explain the history behind the items on display including a video on “Gandhi in Madurai”. “We are sourcing material from across India,” says K R Nanda Rao, museum secretary. “People planning to visit in the summer will not be disappointed.”

Entry to the museum and summer palace is free.