FIELD VISIT
As part of the B.Ed curriculum, the first year B.Ed students of GCTE went for a field trip on 20 January, 2023. This field trip was included in the community based practical programme of the first semester syllabus. The purpose of the trip is usually for observation for education, non-experimental research or to provide students with experiences outside their everyday activities. All student teachers reached Kuthiramalika,our first destination, around 9: 30 in the morning. Jayakrishna teacher of Hindi department, Kumar sir of Tamil department, Anju teacher of Physical Science department, Jolly teacher of Malayalam department, Roshna teacher of Maths department and Rajasree teacher of Natural Science department accompanied us.
OBJECTIVES OF FIELD TRIP
1. To develop a knowledge about rich heritage and history.
2. To develop self confidence in students.
3. To provide unique opportunities for learning.
4. To devlop co-operation among students.
5. To provide a platform for team work.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE SPOT
Kuthiramalika, Sri Chitra Art Gallery and Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum in Thiruvananthapuram are the places selected for our educational purpose.
1. KUTHIRAMALIKA
Kuthiramalika Palace is one of the architectural wonders in the vast complex of royal buildings situated near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Built by Sri Swathi Thirunal, Kuthiramalika or Puthenmalika is named after the 122 horses that are carved into the wooden wall brackets that support the southern roof. It is a perfect example of the traditional Kerala style of architecture, and impresses visitors with its intricate carvings, huge pillars and traditional style of flooring. A guided tour is available inside the palace. Kuthiramalika is a perfect venue for those in search of places with historical and architectural significance. The palace also has a unique Navarathri Mandapam in front of the palace, which hosts many concerts, and other important events. Makers of the palace - Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma was the King of Travancore, who happens to be a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. The palace has a unique architecture with wood carvings, a typical Travancore style of architecture. In the palace, there's a museum which displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family. The exhibits like 4 life-size Kathakali mannequins, Belgian and Italian mirrors, crystal chandeliers, paintings, a giant Belgian harpoon, armaments, musical instruments, traditional furniture, greek statues, and a musical tree which produces 8 sounds on tapping. Also worth watching are a large collection of idols and sculptures made from white marble. In the museum, worth checking out are audience chamber, the library and an alcove that Swathi Thirunal used for meditating and for conceiving many of his famous musical compositions. Another prominent that one must check out are the illusion portrait of Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, painted by Svetoslav Roerich. It is said that this building is an architectural defect and the 122 horses pulls this building towards south ie death. Many people believe this to be the reason for the death of Swathy Thirunnal at his early years.
2. SRI CHITRA ART GALLERY
The Sri Chitralayam, popularly known as Sri Chitra Art Gallery, was opened to the public by the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore Sri Chitra Thirunal on the 25th of September 1935 for the enjoyment, education and development of artistic taste of the people. It has a collection of paintings representing the various genres of paintings in India, along with a few from other parts of Asia with a distinct stamp of Indian culture.
The Gallery was reconstructed out of two bungalows side by side in the museum Gardens. The Construction, furnishing of exhibits and hanging was done under the direction of Dr. Cousins, the well known exponent of art and literature. He was instrumental in assembling this collection of paintings from various places. He spared no efforts in furnishing this gallery with rare and representative specimens of paintings from near and far. A large collection of paintings is a generous gift from the Royal House of Travancore and also from Kilimanoor Royal family. The major attraction of Sri Chitra Art Gallery is the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. He is one among the greatest painters of India. Ravi Varma is particularly acclaimed for his paintings depiciting the mythological characters. Hamsa Damayanthi, Sakunthala, Gypsies of South India, Milk Maid and Mohini Rugmangada are among his renowned paintings. Paintings of other members of the Kilimanoor Royal family, consisting of Raja Raja Varma, C. Raja Raja Varma, Mangala Bai Thampurati and Rama Varma Raja are a rare collection. The paintings of Rama Swamy Naidu, Govindan Achari, K. Padmanabhan Thampi, V. S. Valiyathan, B. Krishna lyer, K. Rama Krishnan Achari also enrich this section.
3. PALM LEAF MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM
Labelled as "World's first palm leaf museum", this museum is situated in the Fort area of Thiruvananthapuram. The museum is set up on the ground floor of the three-century-old complex which functions as the Central Archives under the state government. It had been the Central Vernacular Records Office since 1887 before becoming a museum. Till then, the building was a prison under the Travancore ruler — and, prior to it, barracks of his Nair army. The museum has 8 theme-based galleries in the museum representing segments like, “History of Writing,” “Land and People,” “Administration,” “War and Peace,” “Education and Health,” “Economy,” “Art and Culture,” and “Mathilakam Records.” With its eight galleries that also feature videos and QR code systems permitting acquisition of information, the facility is wooing common people and niche researchers alike.
The first gallery ‘History of Writing’ is an introduction to the evolution of writing, particularly in Kerala, and introduces visitors to the Marayur cave paintings and engravings and the stamps and seals used in Harappa, through their replicas. However, the evolution of writing is far from continuous. After a long gap evolves the Brahmi script, seen as rock inscription during the reign of Ashoka. Then it moves on to copper plates, brass splints, and finally palm-leaf, leaves, and bark. Primarily, the galleries give a glimpse of the complex administrative systems of land management, path-breaking proclamations of the Travancore and international negotiations as well as agreements, besides documents that became historical milestones.
The museum stores 187 manuscripts at Central Archives and the department’s regional officers in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. The manuscripts span 6 centuries From 1249 CE to 1896. These are Documents written on cured and treated palm leaves consigned to the corners of the records rooms. The Museum houses manuscripts in ancient scripts such as Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Malayanma, and ancient Tamil and Malayalam. Among the manuscripts that the museum houses are accounts of the famed Battle of Colachel. The 1st phase’s archival material was selected after sorting through a stock of carelessly stored 1.5 crore palm-leaf records from all across Kerala. Today, the selected documents occupy what is the world's only manuscript museum that solely displays sheaves of palm leaf materials and allied paraphernalia such as styluses and carriers of the Cadjan bundles. Bamboo splints and copper plates, too, make a presence. Each item in the museum is a commentary on the state affairs: Revenue, defence, festivals administration, health, education, religion, caste, corruption and crime.
Besides brightening the state's culture space, the museum also serves as a reference point for historical and cultural research for academic and non-academic scholars. It offers a glimpse into the rich history of the Travancore kingdom and helps to fill in gaps in our understanding of Kerala’s past.
