The footfalls at Government museum at Nehru Stadium has been dwindling over time. Visitors lament that they do not get to see enough artefacts that one could expect in such a museum.

They come with high expectations only to find out that most of the much acclaimed artefacts are locked up in the strong room of the museum. Since the infrastructure is poor, there is not space and facility to display the treasures that the museum boasts of, according to District Museum Curator C. Sivakumar.

The Department of Archaeology was looking for funds from private sponsors to improve the infrastructure and woo visitors.

“The contribution from private sponsors will be utilised for creating more space for allocating the antiques’ rafts, making labels, adding description to existing labels, giving a facelift, improving interiors by giving a coat of paint, changing electrical fittings, tiling pathways, etc.,” he adds.

Some treasures of the museum include the Avinashilingam temple cart, 2,000-year old burial pot from Udumalpet, land documents of the Nilgiris tribal people that belonged to an age before the East India Company, and also few medicinal formulae that were written on palm leaf manuscripts.

An interesting piece is the sculpture of Lord Maheshwari from 18th century. Another one is a sculpture of Lord Bhadrakali donated by a temple from Udumalpet.

He says the museum has a model of a dinosaur that is more than 10 years old. The Archaeology Department has handed over a three-tier euro stone with different Goddess weighing a ton.

According to sources, Government aid is not sufficient for operating the museum.

Chandini. N, a private school teacher, says: “VOC museum does not have attractive and informative material to take students,”.

Higher officials of Archaeology Department assured that development would take place soon with limited contribution from private players.