Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum is a museum and art gallery in

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. The museum has a rich collection of historical artifacts from 1000 BC to 200 AD.

History

The building that houses the museum was constructed in the year 1812 and was then known as East Hill Bungalow. The bungalow was converted to an archaeological museum in 1976. In the year 1980, the building was renamed as the Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum.

Collection

The museum has exhibits from the megalithic age and the

Indus Valley civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...

. The exhibits include ancient pottery, toys, stone and other metal

sculptures Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

Coins A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

, Models of temples, Burial urns and umbrella stones (tomb stones of rulers) are part of the museums's collection. The museum also has a collection of war weapons used by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

soldiers and the official caps of British and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

soldiers. The special collections of the museum include the

Panchaloha ''Panchaloha'' ( sa, पञ्चलोह), also called ''Pañcadhātu'' ( sa, पञ्चधातु, lit=five metals), is a term for traditional five-metal alloys of sacred significance, used for making Hindu temple ''murti'' and jewelry. ...

idols and stone

statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

described as ‘War heroes'.

Governance

The museum is managed by the Kerala State Archaeology Department. The Kerala State government had spent Rs.76 lakh for the renovation of the building with further improvements planned.

References

External links

{{authority control Museums in Kerala Archaeological museums in India Tourist attractions in Kozhikode 1976 establishments in Kerala Museums established in 1976 Buildings and structures in Kozhikode

History

Collection

Governance

See also

References

External links