Napier Museum, Heritage museum in Thiruvananthapuram, India
Napier Museum is an art museum in Thiruvananthapuram that gathers bronze sculptures, jewelry, and religious items from different periods of South Indian culture. The red-painted building combines Mughal forms with elements from Kerala, creating rooms with high ceilings and carved wooden panels.
Architect Robert Chisholm designed the museum in 1880 on behalf of the British colonial administration to gather regional art and natural collections at a central location in the Travancore capital. The choice of name honored the then-governor of the Madras Presidency and aimed to make colonial order visible in public space.
Named after Lord Napier, the building displays objects from different regions of Kerala on several floors, including ritual garments and handcrafted items in wood and ivory. Visitors can follow techniques that have been used in South India for centuries and still matter for traditional celebrations today.
The building opens from Tuesday to Sunday and remains closed on Mondays, with galleries accessible from 10 AM to 5 PM and wheelchair users able to reach all levels. Before visiting, it helps to check the current opening status, as holidays may bring different hours.
In a separate hall the natural history section displays preserved specimens of animals from the region, including birds and mammals that are often overlooked beside the artworks. This section arose at the same time as the zoo next door, which has existed since 1857 and still houses species from across South India.
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