Eluru museum to showcase rich collection of antiques

The city, which is once the seat of power for Chalukya kings, is all set to showcase a museum for preservation of antiques of great archaeological importance. According to S. Bangaraiah, Assistant Director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, the museum under construction on the sprawling premises at `Goreela Badi’ at the eastern street in I-town where the cemeteries of the British army personnel were found, has been nearing completion and is likely to be thrown open to public within a month. The State government has estimated the cost of museum construction to be around Rs 1 crore.

It is proposed to preserve the copper plates dated back to 7th, 8th and 9th centuries found during the excavations taken up at the Jain sites at places such as Gandigudem, Gandichervu, Pulla and Chervu in the district. Besides, the idols discovered from Jain temples of Chalukyas period such as Kota Sattemma temple at Nidadavole and Gajjaram and Peddintlamma temple near Jangareddygudem are also likely to find a safe shelter if the museum is completed.

Mr. Bangaraiah told The Hindu that the officials from his department were trying to shift the prehistoric tools such as Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic ages, presently preserved in the museum at Kakinada to the new one in Eluru. These tools, believed to have been used during those periods for collection of food in the wilds, were found in Pedavegi and Jangareddygudem areas.

The new dispensation which comes to power in the residual Andhra Pradesh after the election is expected to secure permission from the Tamil Nadu government for shifting of the inscriptions belonging to the Chalukhyas period from the museum in Chennai and the one coming up in Eluru is conducive for their preservation, says Mr. Bangaraiah.

The inscriptions made in Telugu during the Chalukyas period found at Addanki indicate that the Telugu language was in existence much before the period of Nannayya of 11th century AD, who is considered to be the earliest Telugu author, Mr. Bangaraiah added.