Established under the Madhavan Nayar Foundation located at Edappally, on the national Highway NH 47 between Ernakulam and Alwaye town at about ten kilometers from city center. Founded by the late R. Madhavan Nayar (1914-1996), a distinguished Industrialist, Philanthropist and a pioneer in Sea Food Exports, this museum complex includes three buildings, viz - Museum of Kerala History, Gallery of Paintings & Sculptures and Centre for Visual arts.
 Museum of Kerala History |  Centre for Visual Arts |  M.N.F. Gallery of Paintings & Sculptures |
Museum of Kerala History
This Museum is a Light and Sound show of three-dimensional visuals. 87 figures who shaped the history and
culture of Kerala in the last two thousand years have been represented here. The story, from the Early peoples of Kerala to the modern age is interspersed with Social, Cultural and literary facets is a fascinating one. The known history of Kerala is represented in 35 visuals which cover the sweep of history over the last two thousand years. These visuals are: |
The early Peoples of Kerala (Pre-History). The visual here shows the early Neolithic man and his family, the earliest inhabitant of Kerala.
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Nannan of Ezhimala (c.1st century A.D). In the 1st century A.D.,the Muvas ruled the northern parts of Kerala, mainly the present day Kannur and Wynad districts. Their capital was called Ezhimala and the most noted king was Nannan.
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Senguthuvan and Ilango Venmal (c.1st century A.D). The Cheras held sway over the central part of Kerala in the early centuries after Christ and they ruled from Thivanchikkulam. The most famous of them was the Senguttuvan - portrayed here in his chambers with Queen Ilago Venmal.
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Ay Andiran of Pothiyilmala (c.1st century A.D). The Ay dynasty ruled the southern portion of Kerala from their capital named Ayakudi. Ay Andiyan was the noted ruler of this dynasty.
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The Aryan Immigration. The Aryans brought to Kerala what was later styled as the Hindu culture and religion with its caste system, rites and rituals.
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St.Thomas (1st century A.D), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, is believed to have reached Kerala in the year 52 A.D. in a mission to spread Christianity.
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Sankaracharya (788 - 820 A.D.) was an Indian philosopher who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, the most influential sub-school of Vedanta. His teachings are based on the unity of the soul and Brahman, in which Brahman is viewed as without attributes. He was born in 788 A.D. at a place called Kalady near Cochin.
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Kulasekhara Alwar (Ruled 800 - 820 A.D.). The Kulasekhara dynasty is one of the three surviving royal lineages that ruled the state of Kerala.There was a re-emergence of Chera power in the beginning of the 9th century A.D. and the second Chera empire comprised almost the entire Kerala. The first one was Kulasekhara Varman.
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Cheraman Perumal Nayanar (Ruled 820 - 844 A.D.). The Kolla Varsham (the Malayalam Era) was started in Cheraman Perumal's reign in 824 A.D.
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Mar Sapir Iso and Ayyan Adikal Thiruvatikal (849 A.D.). The visual shows Ayyan Adikal Thiruvatikal, The Governor of Venad presenting the famous Tarisappalli Copper Plate to Mar Sapir Iso, who arrived in Quilon in the year 849 A.D.
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Bhaskara Ravi Varman and Joseph Rabban (1000 A.D.). The visuals exhibits the grant by Bhaskara Ravi Varman to Joseph Rabban of the Copper Plate which bestowed on the Jews rights normally reserved for the state in 1000 A.D.
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The Devadasis (c. 11th to 14th centuries). Devadasi is initially described a Hindu religious exercise in which girls were "married" and devoted to a deity (deva or devi). In addition to taking care of the temple, and executing rituals they erudite and experienced Bharatanatyam and other classical Indian arts traditions, and enjoyed a high social status.
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 | Ravi Varma Samgramadhira (Ruled 1299 - 1314). Under Ravi Varma Kulasekhara, the small principality of Venad blossomed into a large and powerful Kingdom. |
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Vasco da Gama (1469 - 1524). was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the European Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India.
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Mamankam Originally celebrated during the time of King Saamoothiri (Zamorin), the 15th century ruler of Kozhikode
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 | Kalarippayattu is a martial art from Kerala |
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Kunjali Marakkar (1507 - 1600). Mohammed Kunjali Marakkar was the Muslim naval head of the Samoothiri Raja Manavikraman, a Hindu king of Kozhikode (Calicut), in present-day state of Kerala, India during the 16th century.
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Oath of the Coonan Cross (1653). The Coonan Cross Oath was taken in 1653. The Saint Thomas Christians who assembled at Mattancherry near Fort Kochi controlled by the leadership of the archdeacon and Anjilimoottil Itty Thommen Kathanar of Jacobite Syrian church to receive a bishop took the Oath.
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Marthanda Varma (Ruled 1726 - 1758). Marthanda Varma (Anizham Thirunal), was the Maharajah of the Indian virtuous state of Travancore from 1726 till his death in 1758.
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Tipu Sultan (1750 - 1799) was the ruler of the Indian Kingdom of Mysore from 1782 until his own death in 1799.
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Kathakali is a highly depict classical Indian dance-drama famous for its interesting make-up of characters, their detailed costumes, elaborate gestures and demonstrated body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and consummating percussion.
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Revathi Pattathanam is an annual gathering of scholars held since ancient times at Kozhikode in Kerala. Customarily seven day event, the festival used to be held under the support of the Zamorin of Kozhikode. The prime event of the conference, is the bestowal of the title Bhatta along with a panakizhi (purse of money) to picked out scholars.
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Astronomy in Kerala -Sankaranarayana (c. 825 - 900) who created the astronomical work Sankaranarayaniyam, was the astronomer in the Court of King Sthanu Ravi Kulesekhara in the 9th century .
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 | Thunjath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan (1494 - 1574) is believed to be the Father of Malayalam language, due to the fact that of his devotion to the language, his influence on the acceptance of the Malayalam alphabet, and his very much esteemed poetic works in Malayalam. He was born in the 17th century in Kerala. |
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Van Reede and Itti Achutan (1675) At the completion of 16th century the Dutch East India Company arrived in Kerala in search of trade. Van Reede, the Dutch Governor of Cochin, compiled a methodical literature by gathering information from physicians of that time like Itti Achutan.
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 | Kunchan Nambiar (1707 - 1770) was a Malayalam poet. He was the master of satirist poetry. The chief contribution of Nambiar is the creation and popularization of a new performing art known as Thullal. |
 | Dr. Herman Gundert (1814 - 1893) was a German missionary and scholar, who composed a Malayalam grammar book, 'Malayalabhaasha Vyakaranam' (1868), the first Malayalam-English dictionary (1872), and translated the Bible into Malayalam. He worked principally on the Malabar coast, in Kerala, India. |
 | Raja Ravi Varma (1848 - 1906) was an Indian painter from the princely state of Travancore who obtained recognition for his portrayal of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. |
 | Chattambi Swamikal, Sri Narayana Guru ( 1855 - 1924, 1856 - 1928) Sree Vidyadhiraja Parama Bhattaraka Chattampi Swamikal was a Hindu sage and social reformer. Swamikal along with his contemporary Sri Narayana Guru, strived to reform the clumsily ritualistic and caste comprehended Hindu society of the late 19th century Kerala. |
 | Shri Chithra Thirunal Balarama Varma (1912 - 1991) was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Travancore. |
 | Sir Robert Bristow (1880 - 1966) was a British harbor engineer who is best known as the chief architect of present Cochin port, Kerala. |
Note: Images in this post are only for informative purpose and not available for purchase. All photos are copyright of Madhavan Nayar Foundation, Kochi, Kerala, India. It should not be copied or reproduced in any manner (web or print). They are from my professional portfolio collection that I have photographed for Madhavan Nayar Foundation way back in 2002. Shot in Kodak Ektachrome Transparency film and processed by myself.