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P.R. Thippeswamy brought
material from all over Karnataka to increase
the museum's collection. As a folklore
museum it not only showcases items but also
elements of music, dance and drama.
The location was intentionally chosen to be
on top of a small hillock above Kukkarahalli
Kere(lake). It was originally called 'the
First Rajkumari Mansion'. The first princess
Jayalakshmi, was married to Sirdar M.
Kantharaj Urs in 1897, who later became the
Dewan of Mysore. Kantharaj Urs had a house
in the Fort of the Palace called "Gunamba
House" after his mother. The mansion was
built to be commensurate to their status of
princess and dewan.
The renovated mansion has 125 rooms, 300
windows, 287 exquisitely carved doors and it
was spread across six acres. There are
entrances on each side, different from each
other. The entrance on the northern side has
an extrusion on the stairs presumably to be
used as alighting platform from cars and
chariots. The mansion is chiefly built of
brick and mortar, timber and iron. Stone was
dispensed with considering the amount of
delay it would have on construction if it
were used. There are separated drainages for
rain water and used water.
Sailent Architectural Features
Series of twin Corinthian and ionic columns,
regal pediments, pilastered window sets, and
oval ventilators, all richly moulded.
Different wings of the building are
connected by arch colonnades. There is
a small courtyard with a fountain at the
centre of the main hall. The interiors
with rich carvings and mouldings both in
masonry and wood is kept Hindu regardless of
the style adopted for the facade.
Exhibits
With 6500 folklore articles on display, the
museum is acclaimed as one of the biggest of
its kind in Asia.
Temple chariots, wooden images from
Mekkekatte,religious objects, belonging to Soliga tribe etc.
lamps,ornamental wooden altar,
costumes of Yakshagana plays,masks, boundary
godess, joint puppets,village
deities,marionettes, saw dust dolls,wood
carvings, cooking utensils, measures,
churns, jewellery,metal ware, leather
dolls, fold weapons, agriculture
implements,pots, beads, baskets,weaving,
puppets, folk musical instruments,
textiles, objects of folk games, children. |
