A group of young entrepreneurs and professionals are embarking on a mission to set up a museum here for a holistic depiction of the history and natural treasures of Tirupur, and showcase the image of the region beyond that of a garment export hub.

“We toyed with the idea as no museums are here now to pass on the history to the future generations,” said one of the group members Kathiresh Swaminathan (34), who is a prominent textile entrepreneur and chairman of Young Indians (Tirupur chapter), the youth wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry. The entrepreneurs and the professionals, who are part of the project, were mostly members of Young Indians, and the remaining being different stakeholders involved in development activities.

According to Mr. Kathiresh Swaminathan, the museum is being planned to be set up on around 20,000 sq ft in one of the unused garment factory/godowns available in Tirupur knitwear cluster.

According to the plans, the museum will have paintings and sculptures to give a narrative of the growth story of the city and about the activities in clusters other than the garments like sculpture cluster at Thirumuruganpoondi and steel/copper utensils manufacturing cluster at Anupparpalayam, among others.

Knowing that any narration of Tirupur cannot be completed without the mention of Tirupur Kumaran, who laid down his life fighting British, the museum will portray some rare pictures of him and tell about his role in the freedom struggle.

Similarly, the details about the natural treasures of the district like Kangayam cattle breed, which is facing extinction, and traditions followed in the rural areas, will be on display.

“We want children, many of whom in the present generation did not know much about the history, to visit the museum apart from the tourists as youngsters play a pivotal role in carrying forward any legacy,” said Mr. Kathiresh. The capital expenditure for the project is expected to be met by the contributions from the young members who were part of the project implementation along with the investments from philanthropists and voluntary donors.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Tamil Nadu / R. Vimal Kumar / Tirupur – June 16th, 2016