Chennais Restored National Art Gallery Unveiled: A Cultural Gem Resurfaces After a Decade
Posted on: 07/Feb/2024 11:35:51 AM
After a decade-long restoration, the National Art Gallery in Chennai, located within the Government Museum complex in Egmore, has reopened to the public. The reopening ceremony, held on Tuesday, was officiated by M.P. Saminathan, the Minister for Information and Publicity and Tamil Development.
During the event, Minister Saminathan highlighted the significance of the gallery as a splendid representation of Indo-Saracenic architecture. He noted that the gallery boasts a diverse collection, including paintings by renowned artists such as Raja Ravi Varma, Mysore and Tanjore paintings, and artworks from the Mughal era. The gallery, also known as Victoria Hall, stands as a cultural treasure.
The restoration project, executed by the Public Works Department, not only focused on the National Art Gallery but also included the refurbishment of the Museum Theatre. Additionally, a new restaurant under the management of TTDC was inaugurated alongside the gallery`s reopening. The entire endeavor incurred an expenditure of approximately ₹19 crore.
Egmore MLA I. Parandaman, Secretary Tourism, Tamil Development K. Manivasan, and Commissioner of Museums M. Aravind expressed their thoughts on the occasion.
At the Museum Theatre, restoration efforts encompassed various aspects such as renewing old wooden chairs, enhancing the colors of artworks, addressing seepage issues in the stage area, and renewing wooden flooring, all at a cost of ₹1.50 crore.
The restoration of the National Art Gallery involved essential interventions to address structural concerns. These included providing a continuous tone lintel, replacing flooring, addressing damage to the roof, relaying lime brick concrete, and constructing stormwater drains to ensure the preservation of this heritage structure.
