Bay Island Driftwood Museum

Bay Island Driftwood Museum is a private museum located at Chakranpadi in Kumarakom, Kottayam district, Kerala, near Vembanad Lake. Founded by retired teacher Raji Punnoose, it displays a unique collection of driftwood sculptures made from roots, trunks and branches collected from the Andaman Islands and coastal areas. The naturally shaped wood pieces resemble animals, birds and human forms and are displayed using modern sculpting techniques without extensive carving.

Visitors can expect a small, curated indoor museum displaying a large collection of driftwood sculptures in various shapes and sizes. Exhibits include naturally formed wood pieces resembling animals, birds, reptiles and human figures, cleaned, treated and minimally sculpted. The museum is housed in a building at Chakranpadi, set in a quiet village environment near Kumarakom backwaters, with guided explanation of the collection and techniques used.

The museum was established in 2001 by Raji Punnoose, a retired school teacher who began collecting driftwood while posted in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Over years she collected and preserved driftwood washed ashore, developing techniques to clean, treat and shape the wood into sculptures while retaining natural forms, and later established the museum at Kumarakom to display the collection.

The museum showcases environmental art and creative reuse of natural materials, highlighting driftwood art as a cultural and artistic practice. It demonstrates how naturally weathered wood can be transformed into art with minimal intervention and promotes awareness of coastal ecology and sustainable art forms.