Heritage Museum for Public

We have seen people around us who are passionate about collecting antiques, curios or any other objects of heritage value. But very few start a private museum with their objects as an intension to provide an opportunity to students, teachers and heritage enthusiasts to visit. One such person is Mohammedkutty Karukantakathu Vakkayil from Nariparambu in Malappuram district, Kerala, who recently  opened a museum named ‘Pazhama Porul’ with his entire collection of heritage objects of various categories. 

75 year old Muhammedkutty’s origin is from Kuttayi in Malappuram district. From his teenage days he was fascinated by traditional kitchenware, agriculture implements, antiques and other heritage objects, which were used in his ancestral home. The beginning of his collection started when his parents along with him and other children shifted their stay to a newly purchased home at Nariparambu. He says “I am interested in anything which has some heritage value and so I collect even bottles and stones from the roadsides.  These collections may be useful to students, researchers and other heritage enthusiasts in the region.” 

After the long years of stay in the Middle East, he returned and settled in Nariparambu, in his newly constructed house in 2013. By the time his collection of articles increased considerably with objects from different parts of India and abroad. For the last two years his efforts were not on collecting new objects but on categorizing and preserving these valuable collections. He decided to have the museum in a new building.

Household and lifestyle articles of yesteryears are his main collection which include agriculture implements, kitchen wares like kettles, wooden vessels, various types of knives, jewelry boxes, document boxes, traditional locks called Parangi poottu(Portuguese Lock ), Aamapoottu (Tortoise Lock) , feather pen, steel pen, iron styles, traditional Muslim ornaments, tribal ornaments, different types of traditional lamps, gramophone players and records, old generation cameras, land documents of the British and other principalities Travancore, Kochi, etc. The museum also has a rich collection of weights and measuring instruments and vessels used in ancient times. Coins, currencies, stamps, periodicals and books related to museum. 

Recently, he constructed a two floor building adjacent to his home with around 1800 sq ft in area. This building is entirely dedicated for museum to showcase all his collection. He said, ”I know the museum space is not enough to display my entire collection in a sequenced manner, though I am trying to categorize all the objects on display so that any visitor can see my entire collection in the museum”.

Mohammedkutty is active in many Philately and Numismatic clubs across Kerala and is the President of Numismatic and Philatelic Society, Tirur since its inception in 2019.