Bastion Bungalow to get the badge of Heritage Museum
Bastion Bungalow to get the badge of Heritage Museum is all about the new achievement of Bastion bungalow which is one of the oldest Dutch heritage sites in India. Bastion bungalow which is situated in Fort Kochi, Kerala will be the first heritage museum in the district of Ernakulam.
Raymond, executive director of Kerala Museum has been entrusted with the work to the path of the heritage museum title. He said work on this area in Bastion Bungalow has begun and it will take about two years for the completion of the work. It is a part of the initiative of the Kerala government which proposes to have a heritage museum in every district of Kerala.
Bungalow was part of the Fort Immanuel that was built by the Dutch in 1663, facing the calm sea. A part of it one of the bastions, Stromberg was later transformed into the present Bastion Bungalow. It is built modelling on the Indo – European style architecture. Later after the reign of Dutch when the British came to rule the Country, they destroyed the Fort Immanuel. But they didn’t touch the Bastion Bungalow and it remained intact.
After India got Independence from the British powers, it was converted into the residence of sub-divisional officers. In 2000, it was handed over to the archaeology department of India. In between these years the bungalow came into limelight when it featured in the Ivory Merchant film ‘Cotton Mary’ in the late nineties.
Mr. Raymond said that the Bungalow will now be turned into the first district heritage museum of the state. About Rs.1 crore has been allotted by the State government for the initial developmental works of the project. It would take about two years for completing the project. The state government asset aside about Rs. 14 crore for the development of heritage museums in the state.
Raymond added that the after the completion of the project will be equipped with facilities to give compact information about all one wants to know about Kochi. The Kerala museum will be the nodal agency for setting up and managing heritage museums in every district of Kerala. The cultural affairs department is now trying hard to get UNESCO supported Heritage Conservation Project for Fort Kochi which contains several important heritage sites of Kerala.
