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The memorial of Congress stalwart K. Kamaraj at his birthplace Virudhunagar is all set to get a new lease of life. AusHeritage, a network of Australian cultural heritage management associations, established by the Australian government, is developing a conservation management plan (CMP) to restore the originality of the over century-old house on Sulochana street where the `kingmaker' (as he is fondly called) was born on July 15, 1903, and spent his entire childhood.

His family continued to live in the house until his death in 1975 when it was acquired by the state government. “Subsequently the house was heavily modified – the exterior was stripped of much of its original detailing and a permanent roof top level replaced a lightweight structure.

Internally the museum was developed in an ad hoc manner and there is a growing acknowledgement that the site needs a radical makeover in order to provide a more meaningful experience,” AusHeritage has found out in its study.
Its chairman Vinod Daniel says, “A couple of months back, an architectural historian from Australia spent two weeks in Virudhunagar to study the various aspects of the museum and collect details.

The building and the interpretation, say artifacts and pictorial representations, should talk about his childhood and younger days. We are trying to make sure that the building reflects the significant part of Kamaraj’s life.” Expected to get ready in a few months after a consultation with the local community to get more inputs, the CMP would be presented to the state government for implementation.

“AusHeritage will provide the expertise whenever it is necessary. For, sometimes external assistance is also required to add value,” Daniel says.

Australia has taken the initiative at the request of local Congress MP Manick Tagore. The Australian team headed by David Holly, consul-general for South India, visited the memorial and held discussions with collector M.Balaji on Saturday.

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