Tiruchi museum renovation reveals Nayak-era painting
The Hindu
Second stage of refurbishment awaiting funds
A Nayak-era painting discovered while renovating the area above an arch of the Rani Mangammal Kolu Mandapam, that houses the Government Museum in Tiruchi, will be conserved once the second tranche of funds allocated for refurbishment of the heritage structure is released, according to official sources.
The building, constructed in 1666 by Chokkanatha Nayak, recently underwent an extensive makeover worth ₹1. 87 crore with funds sanctioned by the Centre and State government. The museum hall’s renovation began in January 2020, but was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdown.
“The painting was discovered by the conservation artist and Chennai-based architect who were engaged for the refurbishment project. Apparently, the artwork had been whitewashed several times over in the subsequent years, and became visible only when the lime was scraped off. A protective layer of chemicals has been applied to save the small section that has been spotted; we hope to do a more thorough restoration when the funds are made available for the next phase,” curator C. Sivakumar told The Hindu.
Mr. Sivakumar added the second stage (also with a budget of ₹1.87 crore), would see the installation of modern display cases and ambient lighting to showcase the antique value of the museum’s artefacts.
At present, its collection of ancient pottery, burial urns, copper coins, metal icons, palm leaf manuscripts and Thanjavur paintings have been kept in storage, the official said.
The institution will remain closed to the public for safety reasons, said Mr. Sivakumar. “We are waiting eagerly to recommence work so that the museum can open at the earliest. This is a valuable resource for students and scholars,” he said.
The hall functioned as the meeting place for Town Hall committees from the 19th and 20th centuries. The State Department of Museums set up the Tiruchi museum in the Kolu Mandapam in 1983. With the Taluk office next door shifting to new premises recently, the museum is expected to get more space for its exhibits in the near future.