The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
“Maritime
Museum”
announced a board. “It is closed today” said our auto driver, and we reluctantly
turned the other way. The next morning, however, before heading out of Fort
Kochi, we decided it was time to try the museum once again. “There is nothing
much to see” lamented our driver of the day, but we insisted, and, in the
pouring rain, arrived at INS Dronacharya, which is home to the Southern Naval
Command (SNC) Maritime Museum.
INS
Dronacharya is
the Gunnery school of the Indian Navy, and the museum is located in two
magazines used for storage of ammunition by the British during World War II. The
grounds are
used to display artifacts too huge to fit inside. I wonder, though how they
manage to maintain them with the kind of weather Kochi has. It poured cats and dogs
while we were there, and it was summer, not even monsoon!
Inside,
the walls are
lined with paintings, maps and replicas of documents detailing the birth of the
Indian Navy and its transformation over the centuries.
Our
attention was
captured by this plaque, explaining the Indian Navy’s motto, and its origin….
Take
a closer look
at this replica of Rajaji’s letter, suggesting the same…
Meanwhile, Samhith had found something more
of interest to him – a section devoted to the maritime history of the region,
depicted through murals and figurines.
A
whole wall is
dedicated to the Kunjali Marakkars, the admirals to the Zamorins of Calicut.
The
murals
depicting the evolution of Kochi as a port, and fort, reminded me of Bassein
Fort, also a Portuguese stronghold, and I ruminated on the similarities between
them.
The murals aren’t works of art, but they do
depict the history in an attractive manner, and especially help in engaging
kids!
Another
section focuses
on naval history of India before the Europeans arrived here. There are maps of
ancient ports and trade routes in Southern India, as well as maps of important
forts along the western coast.
Across
the museum are
timelines of the evolution of the Indian Navy – extremely interesting, but for
the fact that it does not include the seafaring ventures of the Indus Valley
Civilization or the Chola Navy, and other such pre-Colonial naval milestones
(which find mention in some sections of the museum, and could easily have been
included).
The
museum is a
treasure trove of information of India’s glorious naval history – a must visit
if you are in Fort Kochi!
Information:
- Location: The Maritime Museum is located quite near the beach, at INS Dronacharya. There are plenty of boards directing you here.
- Timings: The Museum is closed on Mondays and Public Holidays. On all other days, it is open from 09:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and again from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.
Related Posts:
- Part 1: First Impressions
- Part 2: Chinese Fishing Nets
- Part 3: Indo – Portuguese Museum
- Part 4: St. Francis Church
- Part 5: Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
- Part 6: Mattanchery Palace
- Part 7: Jew Town and Synagogue
- Part 8 : A Boat Ride
- Part 9: 3 Cafés, Three experiences
Unfortunately it was my own younger brother who spoke the Auto Drivers words to me. Next time I will overrule him.
ReplyDeleteUsually, PNS, when someone says there is nothing to see, there is something interesting that no one has noticed!!! you should certainly go visit the museum on your next visit. Would love to see what you notice there!
DeleteI had been to Fort Kochi several times. Never knew of this place before.
ReplyDelete