This Mysuru museum is a crash course on Kaveri's course

The Kaveri Kala Gallery, an art gallery that traces the journey of River Kaveri, is ready to be officially inaugurated.

This will be the first such museum in south India. An initiative of the tourism department and the National Academy of Sciences India, the gallery will be located at Karanji Bhavan on the Dasara exhibition grounds.

The project was approved in 2014, during a meeting of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission.

At that time, the government announced that Rs 3.5 crore would be allotted for the construction of the gallery in the budget for 2015-16. It was supposed to be launched in 2016, but got delayed due to various reasons.

The gallery aims to create awareness about the river. It was inspired by the Ganga gallery in Allahabad and the Brahmaputra gallery in Assam.

The exhibits will focus on the journey of the Kaveri from its place of origin – Talakaveri in Kodagu district – to Poompuhar in Mayiladuthurai district of Tamil Nadu, where it joins the ocean.

“The gallery covers myths and legends, physiography, tributaries, geoscientific importance, biodiversity and socio-economic importance of the river,” said Karnataka Exhibition Authority chairman Hemanth Kumar Gowda.

“Tourism, culture, fairs and festivals, threats to the river, conservation and restoration efforts and research will be showcased,” he said.

Audio-visual displays at the facility will be in English and Kannada. A 3D movie about the significance and history of the river will be screened.

The curators have developed several models depicting the lifestyle, culture and traditions of the people residing along the river basin.

The museum will present an interactive multimedia experience using dioramas, animation, backlit graphic displays, RFID-based exhibits and virtual tours.

The inauguration date will be finalised after confirmation with district incharge Minister S T Somashekar.