International Museum Day: Interest in museums waning

KOCHI: History does not appeal to Kochiites or why would they skip museums asked Radha Shekar, one of the members of Madhavan Nair Foundation that runs the Kerala history museum.
Her observation is supported by curators of the three main museums in the city, namely the Archaeological Museum or Dutch Palace (Mattancherry), Museum of Art and Kerala History (Edappally) and the Hill palace Museum (Tripunithura).
The Kerala history museum - with its light and sound shows, wax statues has a very minimum turnout, said Radha.
“You cannot blame students or teachers, but the education administration should know better. For, here is a chance to make history classes more interesting and engaging for a very nominal fee,” said Radha, who is also the former director of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
She believes that more participation is needed from schools and college in our city. The Dutch palace keeps no record of the number of visitors. “Located in a tourist spot like Mattancherry, we depend on tourists and tourist seasons,” said superintendent officer of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Thrissur circle M Kalimuthu. The museum had recently undergone renovation due to ASI’s efforts.
However, the Hill Palace Museum has recorded an increase in number of domestic tourists. In 2011 the annual ticket sale turnout was Rs 41 lakh and in 2012, till March, it is Rs 51 lakh. “There has been a steady increase in the number of tourists from Tamil Nadu. Most of them come here not to tour the museum but to enjoy the scenic open spaces and the deer park. So, though the ticket sales are good, the museum doesn’t really get its due. On top of that the average cost of maintenance (for the palace) is around 10 lakh rupees a month. It’s not running at a loss,” said an official on condition of anonymity. Lectures on museum
The Mattancherry Palace is a repository for several art collections of the royal family of Kochi. To observe the International Museum Day, Archaeological Survey of India will organize lectures on Friday by Dr MGS Narayanan, director general, Centre for Heritage Studies, Hill Palace, Tripunithura, and by Dr M G Sasibhooshan, dean, Academic Affairs, at Hotel Fort Queen, Fort Kochi at 10.30 am.