AP to Have Two New Archaeological Museums
The state has 14 archaeological museums, of which four are ‘site museums’ while the remaining 10 are ‘district archaeological museums’
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh would soon have two brand new district-level archaeological museums in Machhiliapatnam and Tirupati, while four museums will have new buildings – in Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram, Mylavaram near Jammalamudugu and Kadapa.
These would come up at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore each, except for Rajahmundry that would get an allocation of Rs 4 crore.
The state has 14 archaeological museums, of which four are ‘site museums’ while the remaining 10 are ‘district archaeological museums’ located in Visakhapatnam, Rajamahendravaram, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Kadapa, Anantapur, Eluru, Kanaparthy (Prakasam), Chandavaram (Prakasam), Mylavaram (Kadapa) etc.
The state archaeological department has come up with a proposal to establish a district archaeological museum in Machilipatnam and the detailed project report for this has been prepared at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore. The proposal has been sent to the Union culture ministry for sanctions.
A district archaeological museum has been proposed for Tirupati. The authorities are awaiting land allocation by the district administration.
The district archaeological museum is coming up at Kakinada at an estimated cost of `10 crore with both central and AP governments sharing Rs 8 crore and Rs 2 crore respectively in the name of Andhra Samithi Parishad. The new building would replace the existing one, which is in a dilapidated condition.
The state archaeological authorities aim to preserve and display nearly 5,000 palm leaf manuscripts of the 18th Century as these have been given chemical treatment and digitised with the support from the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. In addition to it, artifacts including stone sculptures and coins would also be placed and preserved and put on display in the upcoming museum.
Archeological department deputy director (Museums) Rama Subba Reddy said, “We are coming up with a new building to accommodate the district archaeological museum. Tenders will be called soon. The museum is famous for a huge collection of palm leaf manuscripts. As they are getting brittle, we have digitised them for long-term preservation.”
In Rajamahendravaram, the district archeological museum called Rallabandi Subbarao is coming up in a new building. The works are in progress and are expected to be ready by the time of the Godavari Pushkaralu in July, 2027.
