100-year-old TN kasumalai at Singapore show

Both the artefacts were donated by family members of Gnanapragasam Pillai who had migrated to Singapore in 1895. The Pondicherry-born Pillai bought the necklace, called kasumalai, for his wife in 1914. Today, the kasumalai is valued at Singapore dollars 100,000. 

The National Heritage Board (NHB), manager of IHC, felicitated the family members and other heritage artefact donors on Tuesday. The family members, led by London-based John Santhanam (73), said, “the priceless kasumalai belongs to their late grandmother, but the family wants to share it with future generations by showcasing it at the heritage centre. 

The NHB also felicitated NRI Vinod Nair who has donated an intricate wedding pendant and a pair of pillars that reflect cultures of the Chettiars and Malayalees. Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, applauded the artefact donations, saying the portrait of the Pillai family patriarch displayed at IHC is part of the “Once Upon a Time in Little India” exhibition. 

Fu expressed her appreciation towards the donors for helping to “create a sustainable heritage landscape”. “Your donations have enriched our cultural offerings through exhibitions,” she said.