The National Workshop on Conservation of Manuscripts with Special Reference to Metals Conducted by The National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi and The Government Museum, Chennai at Government Museum, Chennai-600 008, 4-8, December 2006

The National Workshop on 'Conservation of Manuscripts with a Special Reference to Metals' organised in the Government Museum Chennai from 4th December to 8th December 2006. Ms. Neeraja Gopi, Conservator, National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi introduced the National Mission for Manuscripts, its activities and the workshop. Dr. R. Kannan, I.A.S., Special Commissioner & Commissioner of Museums gave the Presidential Address and Rev. Fr. Dr. S. J. Ignacimuthu, Former Vice Chancellor of Madras University, Director, Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College (Autonomous), Chennai delivered the Inaugural Address.

The workshop started with the registration of the participants from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Gujarat, and New Delhi. Dr.D.D.N. Singh, Deputy Director, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur delivered a lecture on Metal and its Alloys (introduction with the special reference to copper). He explained about the various types of factors of corrosion and other damages.

Practical demonstration of preparation of copper plate manuscripts at a workshop in Kunrathur. Mr. V. Mohan, Sculptor explained the participants the various casting methods like Lost-wax method & incise method of making the copper plate manuscripts.

He practically demonstrated mould making, making the metal and pouring of the molten metal. The participants also received the details of Hollow Casting & Solid Castings. Dr. R. Kannan, I.A.S., participated in the demonstration and the mould was opened before him and the participants enjoyed seeing the preparation of the copper plate.

Exhibition on Conservation of Metal Manuscripts

An exhibition on Conservation of Metal Manuscripts was conducted in the Centenary Exhibition Hall of the museum for the benefit of the participants and students of colleges. Students from Quide Millet College for Women and Bharati Women's College, Chennai went round the exhibition.

As a Conservation Service, a Preliminary Inspection for the Conservation of Materials Used by Dr. Rukmini Devi Arundale, Kept in the Kalakshetra, Chennai
   
Dr. Leela Samson, Director Kalakshetra Foundation requested Dr. R. Kannan, IAS., the Special Commissioner & Commissioner of Museums, Government Museum, Chennai, to advise the Foundation authorities on the preservation of the materials used by Dr. Rukmini Devi Arundale.
Dr.Kannan, IAS himself visited Kalakshetra on 29-11-2006. along with Thiru R.Balasubramanian, Thiru Kalathi Curators and Thiru Jagannathan from the Conservation Laboratory Assistant and a photographer.

The materials of are multifarious in nature. They range from organic to inorganic. Clothes made of cotton and silk, foot mats, carpets, coconut shell, chairs, tables, stools, wood carvings, bronze idols from all over India even Tibetan in feature, porcelain from Europe, feather, animal skin, bamboo materials, paper materials like books, news papers, letters; paintings, old photographs, 78 RPM old gramophone record plates, medals, certificates, silver ornaments, videos, negatives, drawings on the walls, stainless steel vessels and utensils, steel cup-boards, bronze icon of the Yogi, terracotta vessels, mementos, plastic containers etc.

After ascertaining the present condition of the above-mentioned kinds of materials a detailed report was prepared and sent to adhere for the effective preservation and posterity of them. Required conservation, and training of staff will be extended as per the prevailing policy and norms in the Government Museum, Chennai.

Research Work in Porto Novo and the Archaeological Prescription for the flag mast of a ship.
   
Porto Novo, known also as Parangipettai (also called Faringipett Muhammad Bunder), is a small town of historical importance. The town is situated at 11° 31 North Latitude and 79° 51 East Longitude. It is 8 miles north east of Chidambaram, 115 miles miles south of Chennai (Madras), 20 miles (Cuddalore -Pondicherry 24 KMs) south of Cuddalore, and 32 miles south of Pondicherry. This town is also called as Muhammad Bunder. The name Porto Novo given by the Portuguese means 'New Harbor.' Muslims called this place as Muhammad Bunder, which means 'An excellent Port.' The town is now called as Parangipettai, which means 'European settlement'.

In 1780 Hyder ali plundered the town, and July of the following year was fought in its vicinity the famous battle between Sir Eyre Coote and Hyder, which has taken its name from the town. The French landed a large force here in 1782 and marched thence with Tippu and captured Cuddalore. It had population of 7,182 persons in 1871 and has considerable trade with Ceylon and Acheen. The location of Acheen is not mentioned in the Manual. (Manual of the South Arcot District, Compiled By J.H. Garstin M.C.S., Collector of South Arcot, Madras, printed at the Lawrence Asylum Press, By W.H.Moore, 1878, P.430-431). It is one of the four kingdoms into which Sumatra was divided in the 17th Century.

Parangipettai is located on the Coromandal Coast at the mouth of the River Vellar. This town connects with inland waterways, which helped in the promotion of trade and commerce and industry in the 19th Century AD, when it was an important port. The River Vellar has steep banks and receives the water of the smaller river, Manimuktanadi near Vridhachalam. Tides penetrate inland for about seven or eight miles from its mouth. It runs into the sea at Porto Novo. Its course near that town was straightened by the Department of Public Works. in 1848 AD.

On 26-10-2006 the Commissioner, Dr.R.Kannan IAS inspected Porto Novo Site along with the Sub Collector, Chidamabram, Thiru Arun Roy I.A.S., and the Curator of the Cuddalore, Government Museum, Thiru Kalathi, Thiru Ramesh, Photographer etc., at the instance of the Collector of Cuddalore, Thiru Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS. This was for restoration of historical relics to be placed in a theme park.

Report on Establishing a Temple Museum in Tiruvannamalai Temple

A team consisting of Dr.R.Kannan, IAS, Special Commissioner of Museums, Thiru Asokan, Thiru Balasubramanaian, Thiru Ramesh, Thiru Saravanan, Thiru Suresh inspected the Thousands Pillar Hall of Tiruvannamalai Temple at the request of the Executive officer of the temple to prepare a Project Report for establishing a Temple Museum. They also saw the damage caused due to sand blasting to the sculptures and bas-reliefs.

During our recent visit to Tiruvannamalai temple, we have been able to document visually some of the damage caused due to sandblasting. Some of the pictures are shown below:

Bad effects of sandblasting, which has resulted in a cracked pillar at the bottom and cemented in the Thousand pillared hall of the "Arunachaleswarar Temple at Tiruvannamalai".

Bas-relief sculpture badly damaged in the Mandapa before the main big Nandi


Granite Stone in the base of the Gopura on the North Side


Damaged inscription


A proper method of cleaning with liquid ammonia was demonstrated by this department in 2002-2003 at the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, Chennai, the temple at the bottom of the Ucchi Pillaiyar Temple at Trichy and the Meenakshi Sundareswara Temple at Madurai. Sadly this has been given up. It is also amenable to mechanisation. A pump used to clean cars can be used for this method also. It is very cheap.

It is heartening to learn that the ban has been reimposed.

9-1-2007 Dr.R.Kannan, IAS &
Thiru R. Balasubramanian, Curator, Archaeology