The District Heritage Museum, Chathapuram, awaits visitors who wish to explore the rich art and agricultural heritage of Palakkad district. The museum, situated at Chathappuram, on the Kozhikkode-Palakkad highway, is 3.5 km away from Palakkad town. This museum is very near Kalpathy, a hotspot of cultural integration, where Tamil Brahmins first migrated to Palakkad. The vibrant music traditions of Palakkad will be conveyed to future generations. Being a museum that gives prominence to music, it holds a collection of very rare musical instruments. The museum is arranged in six galleries in a hall built in memory of the famous mridangam vidwan Mani Iyer. The mainstay of galleries is music, which adds a festive atmosphere to the district. Musical instruments used for celebrations and rituals can be seen in the 'Udayam' gallery. In the 'Maratakam' gallery, we can see the musical instruments used by the tribes of the district. In the 'Utsavam' gallery, the musical instruments used in various festivals and celebrations of the district (Vela, Oppana, Arabanamuttu, Dafmuttu, etc.) are detailed. 'Navarasam' is a gallery about the art forms of Tullal, Tholpavakoothu (which is a form of shadow puppets) and Porattu Natakam, which is a satire popular in rural areas.
'Puranam' gallery exhibits a brief description of all galleries. Touch screen kiosks and audio-visual guides are available. A large digital art collection is also provided on three TVs. Many things, including Panchavadyam and the making method of chenda, are explained to the visitors.
Portraits of famous artists from Palakkad, including Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar and the Pallavur Brothers, can also be seen here.
Visiting Time: 9.30-4.30
Holidays: Monday, National Holidays
Address: District Heritage Museum, Chathapuram, Kalpathy, Palakkad, 678003
