Kaveri Gallery: A unique place that unveils the story of ‘Jeevanadi’
Fondly known as Jeevanadi, River Kaveri is the lifeblood of people in and around South India. Popularly called as Ganga of South India, Holy River Kaveri takes birth in Talacauvery (Kodagu District) and reaches Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar, nurturing lakhs of people and greenery on its way. People of Karnataka worship Mother Kaveri as a holy deity.
To educate people about River Kaveri’s life, the culture and biodiversity it has created since the beginning of time, a gallery called Kaveri Gallery has been set up at the Kannada Karanji building of Karnataka Exhibition Grounds (KEA). After Ganga and Brahmaputra galleries, this is the third River Gallery of India and first of South India. Those two galleries were established by NASI & NCSI so as this.
The gallery has been built with the joint efforts of Karnataka Knowledge Commission and National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) at a cost of Rs.3.5 crores. In an area of 15,000 sq.ft. It is decked up with many appealing 3D Models, artecrafts, dolls, pictures, visuals and several other elements that unveil the story of River Kaveri from its birthplace Talacauvery to Poomphuar. There is a multimedia representation that beautifully demonstrates how The River crosses a path filled with hills, greenery, cities, forests and much more. This gallery is also houses artecrafts, visuals & pictures that shows the cultural, geological, ecological and social characteristic features of civilisations that has said to be evolved in the banks of Kaveri.
This project is based on the research conducted by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) which is an autonomous society that comes under Ministry of Culture. NASI is the implementing agency and it has trained the personnel of KEA regarding the right way to upkeep the gallery. It is said that the gallery will be open from 10 am to 6 pm and the entry fee will be Rs.20 for adults & Rs.10 for children.