Renovation work of Madurai’s Gandhi Museum nears completion

Madurai: The famed Tamukkam palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum housed in it will be reopened by this summer as renovation work taken up at Rs 10 crore is almost complete. The project was first announced in 2022 in chief minister M K Stalin's Independence Day address. The renovation of the palace and the two wings were taken up at Rs 6 crore and Rs 4 crore was allotted for improving facilities such as underground drainage (UGD) systems and construction of an additional toilet complex. The roads on the 13.5-acre campus have been revamped, and additional seating has been added to the open-air theatre on the grounds.The heritage wing of the public works department (PWD) is working to undo the changes made to the original building that once served as the palace of Rani Mangammal of the Nayak Dynasty. Expert workers have been roped in to ensure that traditional methods are followed to restore the site's heritage status.The two wings of the palace 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 at the museum.The larger of the two AV rooms will feature a 15-minute video focusing on "Gandhi in Madurai", while the other will be used to screen the Gandhi movie. The museum galleries are divided into three major sections: "India Fights for Freedom", "Visual Biography of Mahatma Gandhi" and "Relics and Replicas", as well as a philatelic gallery on Gandhi. At present, the four galleries are housed temporarily in rooms in the peace park on the museum campus grounds.K R Nanda Rao, the secretary of the museum, said, "Renovation work of the museum is taking time as we are taking utmost care to source materials from around the country as well as keep everything repairable and easy to maintain. The digital display and AV rooms will use modern technology for the young generation to learn the history of the place easily."Nanda Rao said the primary construction work has been completed. "Minor painting and detailing on the interior are left and will be done soon. The digital displays have been installed. People planning to visit in the summer will not be disappointed as we are planning to open the facility by the first week of May," he said and added that they are also planning to open a gallery for children in future.