When on April 14, 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya in New Delhi, he declared, “When the country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, then this museum has come as a grand inspiration. In these 75 years, the country has seen many proud moments. The importance of these moments in the window of history is incomparable.” The high technology-based digital museum is celebrating the journey of India and flag-bearers of the nation.
Visitors thronging Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya are witness to contributions of every Prime Minister; the museum has become “a living reflection of the shared heritage of each government,” said PM Modi. There are technologically advanced displays in every section; holograms, virtual reality, augmented reality, multi-media interactive kiosks, computerized kinetic sculptures, smartphone applications, interactive screens, experiential installations have given the museum a new identity for tech-friendly audiences.
On International Museum Day, it is appropriate to pay tribute to museums across India that are re-inventing and establishing themselves in the digital age. In Kurukshetra (Haryana), Jyotisar, a pioneering vision is taking shape – the Gita Museum, slated to be India’s first Net Zero museum. Its planning, execution since August 2011 has seen the 23-acre complex come to life with over 500 professionals engaged; a joint venture between the Central and Haryana governments, Gita Museum is being spearheaded by Gurgaon-based Bootes Impex, a Net-zero infrastructure company.
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Said Vallery Vinita, Bootes’ director-content, “The museum will not only celebrate Gita’s eternal wisdom but also champion sustainability and climate action for the future. Through innovative design, its HVAC system will slash energy consumption from a staggering 1150 MWh to a mere 349 MWh annually. This, coupled with on-site renewable energy production of 1228 MWh via solar PV panels and wind turbines (exceeding projected consumption of 1221 MWh), allows the museum to achieve net zero energy and carbon emissions.”
No wonder the Gita Museum is becoming a testament to India’s commitment to a sustainable future, proving that cutting-edge design and environmental responsibility can flourish together.
Owned by Abhishek Poddar, one of India’s most prominent collectors, the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru has been making waves as a private museum. While its collection of over 60,000 artworks includes modern greats like Manjit Bawa, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, Arpita Singh, and J. Swaminathan, MAP through 2023-2024, exhibited a rarely-seen illustrated manuscript, the Kanchana Chitra Ramayana – the Golden Illustrated Ramayana, created for the royal court of Banaras. Spanning from 1796 to 1814, over a period of eighteen years, several artists belonging to different schools converged to work on the manuscript of Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas.
Explained the curators, for the first time the exhibition displayed nearly eighty pages from the manuscript: “Gold is lavishly used in its resplendent folios — in the form of delicate lines between the lines and punctuation marks in the text pages; as well as spread out across the painted pages as intricate scrollwork on depicted textiles, the glow of the dawn sky, entire walls of magnificent palaces and vast cityscapes; and the broad margins of all the folios, both text and image. The suffix ‘Chitra’ underlined the prominence of paintings in this book: every text page had a facing painting, totalling about 548 paintings.”
The Bihar Museum in Patna has given the ancient capital-city of Patliputra a global identity. Said Bindu Rao Gopal, a dedicated travel writer-blogger-and photographer, “It is one of my favourite museums, among the Top Ten of our country which include the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum in Vadodara, The City Palace Museum Udaipur, and Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad.”
The Bihar Museum has a vast collection of traditional, folk, and contemporary artefacts dating several thousand years. Spread over 13 acres, the museum is an ode to Bihar’s rich cultural heritage with ten galleries presenting historical periods, incorporating the best digital technologies available. The Museum organized the Bihar Museum Biennale 2023, which brought four Indian and eight international exhibitions. Bindu Rao Gopal added, “if you want to buy a piece of the city’s rich heritage, check out the souvenir shop on the premises.”
At the Aguad Interactive Museum, set within Aguad’s former prison cells in Sinquerim along Goa’s scenic sea-coast, visitors ‘immerse’ themselves in the fascinating history of the state. The museum brings to life rich tapestry of Goa’s past through three sections: ‘Goa: The Land’, ‘The Struggle’, and ‘The People’. The picturesque Aguad Port & Jail Complex, with the bounty of sea waves and breeze adding to the ambience, is emerging as a lively cultural space.
Youngsters, especially school-students, engage actively with interactive exhibits and state-of-the-art kiosks that make history leap off the walls. It is not merely an educational experience but also very memorable: going through pre-modern historical eras, witnessing Goa as a stronghold of the Portugese for centuries, the years of struggle and finally Goa’s liberation in 1961. Moreover, through the complex, the Aguad management has utilised innovative technology, featuring a user-friendly web app and QR-coded audio guides, to elevate visitor experiences.
In Udaipur, at the Vintage and Classic Car Collection housed in The Palace Garage of the former Royal Family of Mewar, a double-whammy celebration is in store: the 25th Year of the Collection’s inauguration is on the cards, and the prized 1924 Rolls-Royce GLK 21 is completing an eventful 100 years! Dedicated website, podcasts, films, and a lavish coffee-table book have captured the story of 1924 Rolls-Royce GLK 21, the decades when it was surrendered to the ravages of time and lay forgotten in the Zenana Mahal inside the City Palace, Udaipur.
In 1999 Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, the 76th Custodian of the House of Mewar, began the restoration project, bringing in specialists and visiting international consultants. In November 2008, at the historic Cartier Concours d’Elegance in Mumbai, along with rare and historically significant cars, the restored up-and-running 1924 Rolls-Royce GLK 21 was displayed. On 19 August 2012, at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in USA, the Royal Udaipur Rolls-Royce GLK 21 was bestowed with ‘The Lucius Beebe Trophy’.
An automobile had brought to life a chapter of modern Mewar’s history: capturing the imagination of not just car-enthusiasts but every museum-goer who wishes to witness the glorious past of India’s heritage, exemplified in objets d’art, architecture, paintings, textiles, arms and armouries, photographs, or automobiles.
Author is a writer-researcher on history and heritage issues, a former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.
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