AKG Memorial Museum to be inaugurated in Peralassery in Kannur on Tuesday

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the AKG Memorial Museum set up in honour of veteran communist leader A.K. Gopalan at his birthplace, Peralassery in Kannur district in Kerala, on Tuesday (February 17, 2025).

Museum and Archaeology Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran will preside over the function, while Public Works and Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas will be the chief guest. MPs K. Sudhakaran, V. Sivadasan and P. Sandosh Kumar will take part.

Near Anjarakandy river

The museum, established under the Department of Museums and Zoos, has been constructed on 3.3 acre of land acquired by the Revenue department at Peralassery Palliyath, adjoining the Anjarakandy river. The project was announced in the 2018-19 State Budget.

For land acquisition from private individuals, the government spent over ₹12.08 crore. The civil work on the museum building was completed by the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society. A total of over ₹6.54 crore was spent for construction.

The exhibition design and historical presentation at the museum were undertaken by the Kerala History Heritage Museum, Thiruvananthapuram. For this, technical sanction was granted for ₹4.83 crore.

Six galleries

The museum houses six galleries arranged over two floors. It chronicles AKG’s legendary struggles, parliamentary interventions, role in the freedom movement and agitation against capitalist exploitation, presented through modern display panels. A mini theatre equipped with advanced facilities offers immersive presentations on his struggles. The museum also features life-size statues, miniatures, visual recreations of historic movements, interviews with eminent personalities, documentation systems and administrative facilities. The museum is differently abled-friendly.

A proposal has been submitted to the government with an estimate of ₹7 crore for landscaping the area up to the riverside, developing a garden and setting up a children’s park in front of the museum.

The memorial is expected to serve as a major centre for students, history enthusiasts and the public to gain a deeper understanding of AKG’s life and legacy.