1 h 5 min (32.4 km) via SH40(From Allapuzha)
A museum to display a unique collection of superior quality driftwood sculptures of very high artistic value, prepared through a rare and innovative modern art form, Bay Island Driftwood Museum is located at the scenic village of Kumarakom.
A visitor would find there a huge collection of root sculptures of various shapes and designs.
During her professional tenure in the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago, a dynamic lady school teacher used to pick up pieces of driftwood deposited by the sea in the sea shores, comprising twisted tree trunks, stumps, roots etc. which had potential for transformation to sculptures with marginal efforts, thanks to the Bay of Bengal prone to frequent cyclones that make the sea turbulent and unpredictable.
Every cyclone brought back many things to the shore as it washed away from it.
Some of these wood pieces and roots were centuries old, and having drifted across the seas they became more resilient.
Having traversed vast distances, what is left of a tree is its sturdiest part which has weathered much inclemency.
The gathered pieces were cleansed, dead parts removed, scraped and trimmed to conform to the shape she had in mind.
Many of these pieces closely resemble birds, animals, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Shaping, scraping, polishing, finishing and preserving are done with fierce dedication.
The admirers and connoisseurs of this rare and innovative form of art frequent the Bay Island Driftwood Museum.
The student community finds the art form adopted in the preparation of the exhibits in the museum interesting and educative as the museum inculcates in them the qualities of imagination, creativity, originality, and initiation to produce useful articles out of materials normally considered waste.
Today, just two things make Kumarakom tourists’ own paradise.
Its exquisite backwaters and the exciting Bay Island Driftwood Museum - the Jewel of Kumarakom.
It is India's only museum of its kind and world's best at present.
It stands uncontested as the Unique and Innovative Tourism Project in India.
It displays a beautiful blend of nature's creativity and an artist's imagination, and remains one of the wonderful repositories of most fascinating and rarely seen objects.
The place is not only visited by the big and the famous who come to rest in the luxury resorts, but also by thousands of regular tourists and eco tourists who come to enjoy a peaceful respite or just to be with their thoughts.
However, while this place is a paradise for the contemplative traveller, for children and the special interest tourists, there are not enough sights to visit.
The Driftwood museum comes as a value addition to this tourism destination.
Kumarakom is a heaven for people who love rainfall.
On most days, the place receives light showers which keep it fresh and green.
The temperature is moderate and not very hot. The winter season can be a little chilly but the daytime is perfect for touring the city.
It can easily be that winter months are the most enjoyable here.
Try visiting this place between Octobers to February.
That way you will make the most of your visit.
The Limca Book of Records has certified that Bay Island Museum ( est 2001) located in kumarakom, kerala, the only drift wood museum, showcases objects that have been painstakingly recovered and collected from the andaman seas and beaches by Raji Punnoose (proprietor and curator) during her career as a post graduate teacher in the islands. The India Book of Records(2013) also has certified that the Bay Island Driftwood Museum(Estt 2001) is the only driftwood museum in India that showcases driftwood of various shapes and sizes.
Lonely Planet - Tourist guide on South India
It is worth stopping by the Bay Island Driftwood Museum, not least for owner Raji Punnoose’s animated explanations of her life’s work. Inside is a motley collection of driftwood from the Andaman Sea which has been cleaned up and arranged to resemble in all manner of shapes and wildlife. Some pieces have striking resemblances to real life objects, while others take a lot more imagination and prompting from the convincing Ms.Punnoose.
Uniqueness In India
The Bay Island Driftwood Museum is the only one of its kind in the country. The salient features of the museum are also added in the website of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, Best time to visit the place. Timings-Thursday-10AM–5PM,Friday-10AM–5PM,Saturday-10AM–5PM,Sunday-11:30AM–5PM,Monday-Closed,Tuesday-10AM–5PM,Wednesday-10AM–5PM. Entry fees-You can enter the museum with the help of passes only. Once you get to the place you will get to know more about how to get the passes.50 per person for adults.
A museum to display a unique collection of superior quality driftwood sculptures of very high artistic value, prepared through a rare and innovative modern art form, Bay Island Driftwood Museum is located at the scenic village of Kumarakom.
A visitor would find there a huge collection of root sculptures of various shapes and designs.
During her professional tenure in the Andaman & Nicobar archipelago, a dynamic lady school teacher used to pick up pieces of driftwood deposited by the sea in the sea shores, comprising twisted tree trunks, stumps, roots etc. which had potential for transformation to sculptures with marginal efforts, thanks to the Bay of Bengal prone to frequent cyclones that make the sea turbulent and unpredictable.
Every cyclone brought back many things to the shore as it washed away from it.
Some of these wood pieces and roots were centuries old, and having drifted across the seas they became more resilient.
Having traversed vast distances, what is left of a tree is its sturdiest part which has weathered much inclemency.
The gathered pieces were cleansed, dead parts removed, scraped and trimmed to conform to the shape she had in mind.
Many of these pieces closely resemble birds, animals, reptiles, amphibians and fishes. Shaping, scraping, polishing, finishing and preserving are done with fierce dedication.
The admirers and connoisseurs of this rare and innovative form of art frequent the Bay Island Driftwood Museum.
The student community finds the art form adopted in the preparation of the exhibits in the museum interesting and educative as the museum inculcates in them the qualities of imagination, creativity, originality, and initiation to produce useful articles out of materials normally considered waste.
Today, just two things make Kumarakom tourists’ own paradise.
Its exquisite backwaters and the exciting Bay Island Driftwood Museum - the Jewel of Kumarakom.
It is India's only museum of its kind and world's best at present.
It stands uncontested as the Unique and Innovative Tourism Project in India.
It displays a beautiful blend of nature's creativity and an artist's imagination, and remains one of the wonderful repositories of most fascinating and rarely seen objects.
The place is not only visited by the big and the famous who come to rest in the luxury resorts, but also by thousands of regular tourists and eco tourists who come to enjoy a peaceful respite or just to be with their thoughts.
However, while this place is a paradise for the contemplative traveller, for children and the special interest tourists, there are not enough sights to visit.
The Driftwood museum comes as a value addition to this tourism destination.
Kumarakom is a heaven for people who love rainfall.
On most days, the place receives light showers which keep it fresh and green.
The temperature is moderate and not very hot. The winter season can be a little chilly but the daytime is perfect for touring the city.
It can easily be that winter months are the most enjoyable here.
Try visiting this place between Octobers to February.
That way you will make the most of your visit.
The Limca Book of Records has certified that Bay Island Museum ( est 2001) located in kumarakom, kerala, the only drift wood museum, showcases objects that have been painstakingly recovered and collected from the andaman seas and beaches by Raji Punnoose (proprietor and curator) during her career as a post graduate teacher in the islands. The India Book of Records(2013) also has certified that the Bay Island Driftwood Museum(Estt 2001) is the only driftwood museum in India that showcases driftwood of various shapes and sizes.
Lonely Planet - Tourist guide on South India
It is worth stopping by the Bay Island Driftwood Museum, not least for owner Raji Punnoose’s animated explanations of her life’s work. Inside is a motley collection of driftwood from the Andaman Sea which has been cleaned up and arranged to resemble in all manner of shapes and wildlife. Some pieces have striking resemblances to real life objects, while others take a lot more imagination and prompting from the convincing Ms.Punnoose.
Uniqueness In India
The Bay Island Driftwood Museum is the only one of its kind in the country. The salient features of the museum are also added in the website of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, Best time to visit the place. Timings-Thursday-10AM–5PM,Friday-10AM–5PM,Saturday-10AM–5PM,Sunday-11:30AM–5PM,Monday-Closed,Tuesday-10AM–5PM,Wednesday-10AM–5PM. Entry fees-You can enter the museum with the help of passes only. Once you get to the place you will get to know more about how to get the passes.50 per person for adults.
No comments:
Post a Comment