Hyderabad|India|January'2009: The Srisailam pavilion, now renamed as Andhra Pradesh Archaeological Museum located at Gunfoundry,Hyderabad has been opened for public.

The foundation stone of this Museum was laid on 5-5-1981 meant exclusively for keeping antiquties from Srisailam submergeable region, in the premises of the Directorate, Archaeology and Museums. The Yeleswaram pavilion (which previously housed antiquities recovered from Yeleswaram excavations, located on the right bank of the river Krishna in Nalgonda district) gave way for the present museum to display all objects obtained in excavations from the districts of Mahabubnagar and Kurnool. The building was completed and handed over to the Department by the Irrigation and project department, Government of Andhra Pradesh on 11-5-1988.

After the Nagarjunakonda excavations, it may be mentioned, this is the second of its kind to under take large scale salvage operations in the Srisailam submergeable area in the State of Andhra Pradesh, before the completion of Hydro Electrical project across the river Krishna near Patalaganga, Srisailam, a famous Saivate Centre. Under this project about 110 villages including hamlets were submerged covering an extent of 1,62,328 acres spread in Kurnool and Mahabubnagar districts.

Originally, it was planned to put on display all the antiquities obtained from Yeleswaram excavations and from the excavations conducted in the Srisailam submergible areas. Later on, the idea was changed to house all the antiquities obtained in all excavations conducted by the department since its inception and hence named it as Andhra Pradesh Archaeological Museum with the financial assistance extended by the Government of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The present circular building which houses the museum consists of ground and first floor. In the ground floor are put on display various art objects hence is named the gallery as “Art through the ages”. It contains four sections viz., terracotta, stucco, metal and miscellaneous art forms.

Prof. P. Chenna Reddy,Director,Archaeology & Museums Department has informed that the first floor has three galleries - Pre-historic, Megalithic and Early historic. In the centre of the ground floor, stands the magnificent temple door jamb of Vijaynagara period (16th CAD) shifted from Sri Varadaraja Swamy temple, Pragatur, Mahabubnagar district one of the submerged villages of Srisailam project. It is the master piece of the final phase of Hindu architecture.

Thus the museum is the first of its kind to put on display various invaluable and priceless antiquities obtained exclusively in excavations in Andhra Pradesh belonging to hoary past, portraying civilization and culture under one single roof and thus serves both the elite and common man.

Reachout's News Bureau
 January' 2009