The Napier Museum is an art and natural history museum situated in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala, India.
Garden at Napier Museum.
The museum is about 6 km from the city.
Visiting Hours: Open 10.00 – 16.45 hrs. Closed on Mondays, Wednesday forenoons, January 26, August 15, Thiruvonam and Mahanavami.
History
The museum was established in 1855. In 1874, the old Museum Building was demolished and foundation for the new building was laid. The new building was named after Lord Napier, the Governor of Madras from 1866-1872.
Design
Museum seen from right
The architectural masterpiece was designed by Robert Chisholm, the consulting Architect of the Madras Government, and the construction was completed in 1880. Napier Museum is a landmark in the city with its unique ornamentation and architectural style with gothic roof and minarets. The Indo-Saracenic structure also boasts a natural air conditioning system.
Features
Napier Museum.
The museum houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artefacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings. It also contains the Sree Chitra Art Gallery, which contains works from Raja Ravi Varma and Nicholas Roerich, as well as examples of Mughal and Tanjore art.
