Bishop Valloppilly Memorial Museum opens after phase one work

Minister for Registration, Museums, and Archaeology Ramachandran Kadannappally inaugurated the Bishop Valloppilly Memorial Museum at Chempanthotty, which documents the history of the Malabar migration, on Saturday. The museum was opened after the completion of the first phase, with work on the second phase set to begin shortly.

The Minister said museums would serve as “watchtowers of history” at a time when attempts were being made to obscure the past. Highlighting the government’s initiatives, he said eight museums had been completed in Kannur over the past nine years.

Built on one acre of land leased by the Chempanthotty Forona Church under the Thalassery Archdiocese for 99 years, the museum has been modelled on the Kakanpara Kalagramam of the Lalit Kala Akademi. The first phase includes a main building and an auxiliary block with a cafeteria and toilets. The museum houses eight galleries.

The State Archaeology department spent ₹36 lakh on construction, while the government granted ₹1.6 crore in 2021. For gallery development, former Minister K.C. Joseph allocated ₹50 lakh from his research and development fund, and Sajeev Joseph, MLA, sanctioned ₹7 lakh for road access. Exhibits were collected through a public survey, with additional artefacts contributed by the Thalassery Archdiocese. Heritage items, photographs of migration, and visuals on port history will also be displayed. The Pinarayi Industrial Cooperative Society is executing the construction.

Once the second phase is complete, the museum is expected to offer a comprehensive account of migration and its role in shaping Malabar and Kerala.

District panchayat president K.K. Ratnakumari and Thalassery Archbishop Joseph Pamplany, among others, attended the event.