The coronavirus pandemic has imposed strict social distancing norms on people, restricting them from visiting public places such as theatres and museums. While the situation in general is sombre, we are smiling at the optimism of Kerala, where Palakkad District Heritage Museum was recently opened in Palakkad the largest district of the state. The museum is designed by Pune-based design firm Lokusdesign. Palakkad District is known for its music instruments, and this reflects in the museum which hosts one of the largest collections of musical instruments in India. In fact the museum’s mission is to preserve and promote the rich musical traditions of the Palakkad district and the state of Kerala. Work on Palakkad District Heritage Museum started in 2015 and was a joint effort between various government departments of the state. For the inauguration of the project (in 2015), over 200 artists staged a cultural programme. Now that the project is complete, state authorities have withheld the opening till the situation normalises. The museum celebrates the culture and heritage of the district, and we hope that when it is safe, it receives crowds and crows of visitors.
**