People in favour of turning Rushikonda palace into museum: Prof Chalam

Visakhapatnam:Former vice chancellor of Dravidian University Prof. K.S. Chalam on Monday urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to convert the palatial bungalow built atop Rushikonda Hills into a state museum to highlight the region's Trikalinga history.

The ultra-modern complex, which is spread across 9.88 acres, was originally planned for a tourist resort. However after its inauguration on February 29, the then tourism minister R.K. Roja said it could become the residence-cum-camp office of YSRC leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. This attracted severe public criticism.

Prof Chalam, who is also a former member of the Union Public Service Commission, told the chief minister that Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts share a common Trikalinga history and the jewels from the Telugu world, that period's culture and artefacts deserve to be curated at the Rushikonda palace.

Trikalinga history dates back to the ancient Kalinga period, right through the Kakatiyas (12 Centuries AD), the Vijayanagara empire (14th Century AD) to Colonial rule. Trikalinga history is a tapestry of various cultural developments and influences.

Prof Chalam said Buddhism and Jainism predate Amaravati (200 BC) in the state, especially sites like Bavikonda, Thotlakonda and Pavarala Konda. "People of north Andhra have great reverence for Rushikonda. People at large and those having interest in history plead that these new buildings at Rushikonda be turned into a state museum," he Prof. Chalam said.

Presently, Visakhapatnam has one small museum on Beach Road belonging to the Indian Navy.

Prof. Chalam said there was a need to bring back sculptures, art pieces, and relics of Gautam Buddha found in Visakhapatnam. These are presently preserved in Hyderabad.

"This would become an international tourist destination for countries like Japan, Vietnam, China, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Now tourists who go to visit the relics of Buddha in Patna would come to Visakhapatnam. There are enough rooms for the museum in the new Rushikonda building," he said.