Museum

1. Napier Museum (Art Museum )

Napier Museum, Thiruvananthapuram.
One of the earliest Museums in India established by the Maharaja of Travancore in 1855. Only a very few Museums like the Indian Museum Calcutta, Madras Government Museum are its contemporaries. In 1874, the old Museum Building was pulled down and the foundation for the new building named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras presidency, was laid. The Architectural masterpiece was designed by Mr. Chisoln, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government and the construction completed in 1880. This 120 year old structure is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minerets.

It offers an array of display of artistic, cultural and antique importance comprising of sculptures in bronze and stone, carving of wood and ivory, lamps, textiles, Kathakali models, handicraft items, Kuftgiri works, traditional musical instruments, a treasure of numismatic collections representing Chera, Chola, Pandy dynasties of Southern India etc.. The bronze display include fascinating images of Siva, Vishnu, Parvathi and Laskhmi in "Silpa Sastras". The metal images illustrate the features of South Indian sculpture style of 8th to 18th Century. The Vishnu image of 8th Century collected from Ambalapuzha temple in central Travancore which has Pallava style is the oldest metal image in the State. The stone sculptures belong to 8th to 18th Century such as Agasthya, Vishnu etc. manifest Dravidyan influence. Shiva with Sati is a unique and the rarest exhibit found in the Museum. Each and every exhibit has a wonderful and fascinating tale twined around it