A TRIBUTE TO OUR TENTH GURU
HIS HOLINESS PARIJNANASHRAM SWAMIJI III

Shrimat Parijnanashram Vastu Sangrahalaya dedicated to His Holiness Parijnanashram Swamiji III was inaugurated by Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji on 29th December, 2008 .

This being part of the Shri Chitrapur Math Tercentenary Celebrations, Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji undertook the revival and completion of the museum and renamed it as Shrimat Parijnanashram Vastu Sangrahalaya

The Event:

At 12.10 pm sharp , Parama Pujya Swamiji inaugurated building and lit the Divya Jyot thereby adding another milestone to the history of Chitrapur Saraswats and the Tercentenary Celebrations.

Many noted personalities, guests and the press were present.

On completion of the new building Vastu and Rakshoghna homa was performed. The Ganahoma was performed in the morning of 29th December by the President Shri Vinod Yennemedi accompanied by Vidyapachi.

Directive of H.H. Swami Sadyojat Shankarashram :

Shrimat Parijnanashram Vastu Sangrahalaya was completed under the directive of Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji and the wish of His Holiness Parijnanashram Swamiji III to house these precious artefacts was thus fulfilled during the Tercentenary Year.

Planning and Preparation

The project was methodically executed in the following manner:

• A Museum Project Committee chaired by the President Administrative Committee Shri Vinod Yennemedi & consisting of Lt.Gen (Retd) Prakash Gokarn, Shri Jyotish Desai, Shri Avinash Mallapur, Shri Anand Talgeri, Dr Prakash Mavinkurve, Shri Ramdas Divgi & several others was formed. The Museum Project Committee also included architects, museologists, archaeologists, specialists in conservation, restoration and preservation of paper materials, specialists in conservation of metal and stone objects and curators of other museums.
• The artefacts were identified by Dr Adiga Sundara Rao, renowned archaeologist and museologist. The coin collection was identified by Shri Mukunda Prabhu, a renowned numismatist. Registration of artefacts has been done at the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Dharwad.
• The old records of Shri Chitrapur Math in manuscript paper form were segregated and handed over to Dr. A.K. Shastry, a renowned research scholar who translated some of these manuscripts.
• Work on the fumigation of paper documents was completed in April 2007 and these documents were segregated and stored in a secure area. Restoration work of the other artefacts were commenced as per Dr. A.K. Shastry’s guidelines and upon completion of his research work. Palm leaves were cleaned and stored in a secure, dust free area.
• Work on the conservation of most of the stone objects and chemical treatment/preservation of most of the metallic objects was undertaken in November 2007 and completed with the assistance of M.S. University, Vadodara.
• Shri Jyotish Desai, Curator and museologist has been actively associated with the conservation, registration, cataloguing and layout of the artefacts in the museum. He will continue to be consultant Curator to the museum.

Layout of the Museum

Dr Adiga Sundara Rao rendered valuable advice in the layout of the museum.

The architectural drawings of the Museum were approved by Prama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji. The three-level structure consist of the following areas;
Space for the Ratha Two Sculpture Galleries Office room
Laboratory/Store Bronze Gallery Conference room
Miscellaneous Gallery Foyer Toilets

Contents of the Shrimat Parijnanashram Vastu Sangrahalaya

Shrimat Parijnanashram Vastu Sangrahalaya has a collection of old and rare objects gifted to our Gurus, particularly His Holiness Parijnanashram Swamiji III. They consist of stone sculptures (idols, veergals and mahastikals), bronze and other metallic objects, weaponry, ivory and sandalwood carvings, old books, toys, a clock, a kerosene fan, furniture, animal heads, palm leaves, manuscripts and paintings.

Conclusion

Our beloved Tenth Guru, His Holiness Parijnanashram Swamiji III had set up The Chitrapur Museum in 1974. Our revered Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji consulted several experts in the field of museology, history, archaeology etc. and created this Sangrahalaya housing the artefacts collected by HH Shrimat Parijnanashram Swamiji III thus making their dream come true. All the old wood lying unused in the precincts of the Math has been creatively put to use and the precious collection showcased beautifully.

Dhwaja – the auspicious symbol.

At the time of renovation of the Math the debris was discarded in the open area beyond Kembre, some of which spilled over to the neighbouring fields. A couple of days prior to the opening of this Sangrahalaya, the owner of that field brought back to our Swamiji a Dhwaja which he found in the debris. This symbolised the culmination of this project. This Dhwaja-bronze, later identified to be of the late 14th century has been displayed in the Sangrahalaya.

Acknowledgements:
(1974-1979)
Shri Santoshkumar Gulvady, Historian and writer, Bangalore
Dr. and Rajarishi Shri Veerendra Heggade of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala
Dr. M. S. Nagaraja Rao, Director of Archaeology and Museums, Mysore
Dr. S. V. Deshikachar, Director, Karnataka State Archives, Bangalore
Dr. P. Gururaj Bhat, Historian and author of “Temples of Dakshina Kannada”
Shri. M. Mukunda Prabhu, Numismatist and Historian, Mangalore
Dr. G. S. Paramashivayya, Director, Folklore Museum, Manasa Gangotri, Mysore
Dr. J. M. Jayaramaraju, Curator, Mirajkar Memorial Museum, Mangalore
Shri K. Chennabasappa, High Court Magistrate, (Kannada author)
Dr. T.M.A. Pai, Manipal
Dr. Kota Shivarama Karanth, Jnanapeetha Award Winner and writer in Kannada
Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya, Chairman, Handicrafts Board, New Delhi
Prof. S.V. Parameshwara Bhat, Mangalore University, Research Scholar &Kannada Poet
Shri P.R. Tippeswamy, Curator, Folklore Museum Artist, Manasa Gangotri, Mysore
Shri Nanjunda Rao, Founder Director, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore
Shri Vishnukumar, Inspector, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments
Shri Gowrish Kaikini, Gokarn, Intellectual and author

(2003-2008)
Dr. Addiga Sundara Rao, Archaeologist and Historian
Dr. A. K. Shastry, Chairman National Mission of Manuscripts
Shri Jyotish Desai, Chief Archival Officer, Mumbai Municipal Corporation
Dr. Keladi Venkatesh Jois, Curator Keladi Museum, Shimoga
Dr. S. G. Samak, Archival specialist
Shri Prem Chandavarkar, Architect, Ms. Chandavarkar & Thakkar, Bangalore
Shri Anand Akolekar, Specialist-conservation & restoration of Paper Material
Shri Mukunda Prabhu, Numismatist & Historian, Mangalore
Dr. Kalpana Desai, Director, Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai
Shri Sabyasachi Mukherji, Assistant Director, Chattrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya
Dr. N. R. Shah, Head of Department of Museology, M.S. University, Vadodara
Shri K.H. Rahevan, Curator Department Museology, MS University, Vadodara
Smt Shilpa Nadkarni, Interior Designer & Artist
Smt Suma Kaushik, Hon. Manager, SPVS Museum