Kerala State Archives Department Government of Kerala

Overview

The Kerala State Archives Department is the government body responsible for the supervision, preservation, and administration of archival records of the Indian state of Kerala. Its directorate is located in Nalanda, Thiruvananthapuram, and it maintains three regional offices in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode.

History and Founding

The roots of the department trace to the Husoor Central Vernacular Records established in 1887 in Thiruvananthapuram during the Travancore era. The current state archival institution is a continuation of that long-standing repository. The 400-year-old Central Archives Building in Thiruvananthapuram, which once served as a prison during the reign of the Travancore kings, is among the oldest heritage structures in the city.

Collections and Holdings

The department holds over one crore (10 million) ancient manuscripts and archival records including palm leaves, bamboo splints, copper plates, paper records, and microfilms. Materials are in multiple languages including Malayalam, Old Malayalam, English, Tamil, Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Persian. The reference library at Thiruvananthapuram holds over 10,000 volumes, including old and rare books, legislative assembly proceedings, census reports, gazettes, and newspapers. The collection also includes the Chellam Vaka records from the Padmanabha Swamy Temple relating to wars, treaties, and diplomacy. Around 458 microfilms are held, including materials from the India Office Library and Records, London.

Digitisation

In collaboration with C-DIT (Centre for Development of Imaging Technology), the Archives Department began digitising archived records in 2008 and developed the e-Likhitham 2.0 web platform, which allows registered research scholars online fee-based access to digitised archival content.

Access and Usage

Researchers may access the physical collections at the directorate or regional offices. Online access to digitised records is provided through the e-Likhitham 2.0 portal following registration and fee payment. The department also operates heritage clubs in schools and conducts annual history quizzes to promote public engagement with archival heritage.