Government Museum, Chennai has thousands of artefact and antiquities, which stands as material evidences of the rich cultural heritage of South India in particular. Most of them are in display and some of them in reserve collection. In addition to that it also serves as a repository centre for keeping objects pertaining to the Art and History temporarily for items, which are under judicial process and items deposited by the Government. In this connection the statue of Kannaki made of bronze deposited by the Government belonging to the I & P.R. Department was received and kept temporarily. It was inspected by Thiru. M. Thambidurai, Hon’ble Education Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu on 5.10.2002

The pink sand stone used in the compound wall and National art Gallery has been identified after much research by Dr. R. Kannan, I.A.S., Commissioner of Museums, as that taken from Andhra area bordering Chennai like Sathiavedu up to Rajamundhry. Since it was red stand stone, it was thought to be brought from Jaipur, Bhopal etc. This identification was done by Dr. Alexander Rea, the then Curator, Geology Section, Government Museum, Chennai and published in a article in 1851 and by the Professor of Geology of Lucknow University in 2002. No local geologist could identify it. This identification enabled us to recreate the missing portion and to restore the compound wall to its pristine appearance.

The completion of 150 years is a great occasion for any institution for any institution. The completion of 151^st year of the Government Museum, Chennai is a landmark event not only in its history, but also in the World of Museology. A series of events were proposed to commemorate this occasion on the model of the Centenary Celebrations held in 1951 AD.The Government of Tamil Nadu at a meeting convened by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 4.7.2002 approved it and she also took initiative by writing to the Union Minister for Communications to have a stamp issued on the occasion. The design was finalised by the Department of Posts in consultation with the then Commissioner of Museums, Dr.R.Kannan, Ph.D, I.A.S. This resulted in a first for any museum or institution in India as earlier no mini sheet had been issued.

During the financial year ending 31^st March 2002, a Rock and Cave Art Gallerywith son-et-lumiere and dichroic halogen illumination activated by human beings based on infrared rays was set up. This covers the pre-historic petroglyphs and petrographs. It also covers the historic period of cave paintings and sculptures with special reference to Tamil Nadu sites. The scenography of the gallery brings remote sites into Chennai city providing easy access to the visitors.

To set up this rock Art Gallery a lot of research was done. Dr.R. Kannan, Ph.D, I.A.S. Commissioner of Museums himself led the field trips to places like Vellerikombai in Nilgiris, Keelvalai, Bhimbetka, Bhopal, a visit to the Rock Art Society at Agra, the National Museum of Natural History. During the trip to Bhopal, the Commissioner went despite suffering from acute hernia postponing the operation. The trips were exhausting and sometimes dangerous like the trip to Vellerikombai 14 kms. deep in the forests of the Nilgiris. Some Curators, staff and the Commissioner nearly lost their lives.