Ten early-Pandya period cave temples will be declared protected monuments this year, and the Danish Fort at Tharangambadi, which was damaged during a recent cyclone, will be repaired and restored, Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Industries, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture and Archaeology, said on Thursday.
The Minister told the Assembly that the bronze icon galleries at the Government Museum, Chennai, will be upgraded by adopting best-in-class museum practices to enhance the experience and display at a cost of ₹7 crore. The iconic Museum Theatre at the Government Museum will be reopened for performances by upgrading the infrastructure and seating at a cost of ₹3 crore.
The department is also planning to conduct ‘Namma Ooru Thiruvizha’, a grand folk arts festival, at Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Tirunelveli, besides Chennai, at a cost of ₹6 crore. Artistes will be selected to perform in these events by conducting district-level festivals.
Mr. Thennarasu added that the buildings in Government Fine Arts College, Kumbakonam, will be upgraded at a cost of ₹1 crore. “The heritage building and other buildings in Government Fine Arts College, Chennai, will be renovated at a cost of ₹7.33 crore. New buildings will be constructed along with necessary facilities to comply with AICTE norms, for Government Fine Arts College, Kumbakonam, at a cost of ₹15.68 crore,” he said. Brodie Castle – the heritage building of Government Music College, Chennai, will be restored and renovated at a cost of ₹2.80 crore.
The Minister also highlighted that excavations were being carried out at seven sites this year. According to the policy note of the Art and Culture, Museums and Archaeology department for 2022-2023, excavations are on at Keeladi and its cluster (Kondagai, Agaram and Manalur) in Sivaganga district; Sivagalai and its cluster at Thoothukudi; Gangaikondacholapuram in Ariyalur; Mayiladumparai in Krishnagiri; Vembakottai in Virudhunagar; Thulukkarpatti in Tirunelveli; and Perumpalai in Dharmapuri. Further, two more archaeological explorations are being undertaken at Vellore, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai, Dharmapuri and Salem to identify Neolithic sites, and also in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi to identify and explore the Porunai (Tamirabarani) river valley culture.
