Museum of Medical Archives, Kerala’s first private medical museum and India’s first privately owned museum dedicated to medical education, officially opened its doors on 25 May 2026 in Ulloor, Thiruvananthapuram.
The unique museum has been founded by A. Sivaraman, whose decades-long contribution to medical education through handcrafted teaching models and scientific illustrations has now been preserved for public viewing and academic reference.
Located in Thiruvananthapuram, the museum showcases an extraordinary collection of anatomical models, embryological displays, pathology and microbiology archives, paintings, charts, and rare educational materials used in medical teaching over the years. Many of the exhibits were personally designed and developed by Sivaraman during his tenure at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
The exhibits offer visitors a fascinating journey through the human body and medical science. Highlights include detailed representations of fetal circulation, embryonic development, stages of mitosis, reproductive anatomy, heart development, vascular structures, tooth formation, and other biological systems essential to medical education.
Medical museums play a significant role in preserving the history and evolution of healthcare education. Such institutions traditionally house anatomical specimens, models, teaching aids, and archival records that support the study of anatomy, embryology, pathology, microbiology, and the history of medicine. The newly opened museum aims to bridge scientific learning with public awareness while preserving Kerala’s medical education heritage.
Speaking about the initiative, founder A. Sivaraman emphasized the importance of handcrafted educational models in helping students understand complex biological structures in three dimensions. Before the era of advanced digital simulations, such models were widely used in classrooms to teach human development, organ systems, and histology.
The opening of the museum marks a milestone for Kerala’s academic and cultural landscape, adding a specialized scientific institution to the capital city. Ulloor, a prominent locality in Thiruvananthapuram district, is already known for its close association with major healthcare and educational institutions.
The Museum of Medical Archives is expected to attract medical students, researchers, educators, historians, and science enthusiasts interested in the evolution of medical teaching in India.