INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art Conservation Centre (ICKPAC)

INTACH ICKPAC has been a nominated Manuscript Conservation Centre (MCC) since 23rd September 2003. Different repositories of old Palmleaf and Paper manuscripts in the State, including religious institutions like Mutts and educational Centres like Universities are being visited regularly and Preventive conservation of the collections is being carried out. Local staff is trained in Preventive conservation and custodians in the proper maintenance of the collections. Curative conservation of manuscripts is also done whenever necessary.

Some of the major Projects taken up by the Centre are:

• Conservation of mural paintings in Nalaknadu Palace, Coorg, Karnataka (September 2007)
• Conservation of large Canvas paintings for the Senate House of University of Madras, Chennai. (April 2006)
• To financially assist farmers in adopting sustainable farming practices
• National Survey of Manuscripts in Karnataka for NMM (November, 2005)
• Conservation and restoration of 11 of Portrait paintings of former Dewans of Mysore for Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore (September, 2005)
• Conservation and restoration of 4 Portraits for Cheluvamba Hospital, Mysore (September 2004)
• Conservation of 700 Botanical Paintings (water color) for the Horticulture Library, Bangalore (2002)
• Conservation of mural paintings in Ramalinga Vilasam Palace, Ramanathapuram, for Departement of Archeology, Tamil Nadu (1998)
• Conservation of 40 old bronzes for Departement of Archeology, Karnataka (1996)
• Conservation of 35 paintings for Venkatappa Art Gallery Govt. of Karnataka (1996)
• Conservation of large panel paintings in Mysore Palace (1995)
• Conservation of mural paintings in Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Srirangam, for H. R. & C.E department, Tamil Nadu (1995)
• Conservation of mural paintings in Thanjavur Palace, for Dept of Archeology, Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of VIII world Tamil Conference (1994).
• Regilding of life size statue of Ranjit Singhji, Jamsaheb of Navanagar and Conservation of a large equestrian bronze statue of first Jamsaheb at Jam Nagar, Gujarat (1994)

INTACH Chitrakala Parishath Art Conservation Centre (ICKPAC), Bangalore, is currently involved in the conservation of 300-year-old mural paintings in Tamil Nadu. These paintings reportedly dating back to the Nayaka period are on the ceiling of the Devasiriya Mandapam, also called the thousand-pillared hall, in the Sri Thiyagarajaswami Temple at Tiruvarur, about 60 kms from Thanjavur.

The Centre has also recently carried out a conservation and restoration of Canvas Paintings in Senate House, University of Madras.