Thiruvananthapuram: Napier Museum that houses ancient art exhibits is in a bad shape. The stone walls, wooden roof rafters and tiles look worn out.The imposing building has not been painted in a long time and cracks are visible on the walls near the ticket counter. The wooden windows are unvarnished and appear weather-beaten.Though the exhibits, most of them ancient bronze, ivory and stone idols, art forms and coins, are kept in glass boxes with labels, visitors feel that it has not been modernized on the lines of famous museums across the world.The sword of Velu Thampi Dalawa, the Diwan of Travancore, is displayed in a hazy glass case, with little apparent effort to preserve it. Most of the artefacts remain without scientific conservation measures to prevent further deterioration. The sword has lost its sheen, possibly because of prolonged exposure to the atmosphere.Similar is the situation of ‘veeralipattu’ and a shawl made of plantain fibre. The delicate cloth has started to develop holes.Tourists who visit the museum feel that the displayed items could be managed better. A foreign tourist has written a comment on a travel site that the museum has a random collection of dusty relics from India, Bali and Sri Lanka kept in old fashioned glass cases with no descriptions.Established in 1880 by Travancore king Sri Ayilyam Thirunal, the museum appears to be caught in a time warp.Rajeshekaran Nair, a history enthusiast, said govt should form an expert committee with members who have experience in preserving and managing museums.A museum department official said several attempts had been made to secure grant-in-aid funding from the central govt, but none had succeeded.“A detailed project report has been prepared for maintenance and preservation of the building and the artefacts. Improvement to the structure, wood materials, roof and ornamental works have been included,” said the official.
