Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University showcases state's heritage

Malappuram: The Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University has embarked on an ambitious mission to set up a museum to showcase the heritage and culture of Kerala by crowdsourcing the antiquities.

The university has been working on the project for the past six months collecting maximum available artefacts and relics. It has already received more than 200 artefacts, some of which are centuries old, from different corners of the state.

One of its coordinators Dr P. Satheesh said the crowdsourcing was getting an overwhelming response from the public.

Hand axe of Neolithic age, burial urns and ancient agricultural equipment are few of the objects donated by individuals and temple administrations. The university would also buy the antiquities on its value, he said.

The museum being set up on the present campus would also be shifted when the university moves to the permanent campus soon. “The heritage museum is an integral part of the university set up for the development of the language and cultural studies,” said vice-chancellor K. Jayakumar.

“The objects and artefacts are being collected through a heritage survey which is underway throughout the state. The museum is also a major component of the survey which is being undertaken by the department of cultural heritage studies of the university.”

The university museum will have six major galleries on local history, agricultural heritage, history of language, traditional and classical art forms, customs, tribal heritage, food and lifestyle and environmental heritage.

A repository of cultural and historical documents of all the districts in the state will also be a part of the museum, which will open to the public soon.