In the heart of Delhi, a venerable institution faces its final chapter. The National Museum stands on the precipice of closure and relocation, and this is leading, ironically enough, to some ‘last walks’ – undertaken by the city’s history buffs, and also some who had not even stepped into the museum before. These walks have been initiated by Itihasology, a youth-driven Indian history platform, which works towards raising awareness of history.
Eric Chopra and Kudrat B Singh, founders of Itihasology, have done three such walks so far, all focusing on different galleries and artefacts. These curated walks are aimed at taking people around the museum “one last time” and fostering an emotional connection with the building. TMS went on one recently, that began at the Indus Valley Civilisation gallery and with the much-known ‘Dancing Girl’, a prehistoric bronze sculpture found in Mohenjo-Daro in 1926. While many figurines of the ‘Mother Goddess’ are seen across the Indus Valley civilisation, there is no replica, even in terracotta, of the ‘Dancing Girl’.
After the Partition, “actual objects of history were literally cut into halves”, says Chopra. One half of Mulla Da’ud’s Chandayana manuscript, considered to be one of India’s earliest love stories in Hindi, for example, was sent to Pakistan and the other half remained in India, but the ‘Girl’ remained untouched — the future of such priceless pieces of cultural history is now in question, rue Delhiites.
The Itihasology team tried to keep the tour aimed at knowledge with fun. At the Kushana gallery, which houses sculptures from the Gandhara and Mathura schools, centred on the Buddha, an interesting game called ‘Spot the Buddha’ is played. The Buddha, in these sculptures, is represented by different symbols such as the wheel, footprints, tree and throne. Participants are asked to point out the Buddha through the symbol it represents.
The art of appreciation
“The late BN Goswamy believed that art should be read and understood. There are layers in art and when you understand these layers, you become a rasika,” says Chopra. “Through these walks, we want to establish that we might think we know these artefacts, but it’s only when we start interacting with them that we realise so much more is waiting to be uncovered.”
Durga Devi R, a master’s student, says the thought that the museum will not be accessible in a couple of months made her do the walk. “I attended the second walk in the painting gallery because of my personal interest in paintings. I noticed that several artefacts were removed. I do not know why, but that only solidified the thought that one day all the artefacts would be gone from the museum,” she says.
What’s at stake?
Built in the first decade of India’s Independence, the museum was a symbol of nation-building giving citizens an identity and making the institution more than just a repository of artefacts. The museum, it is reported, will be closed down by the end of the year, and demolished by March next. As part of the Central Vista Redevelopment project, it will be relocated, causing concerns among history enthusiasts worldwide. In May 2021, scholars from around the world signed a statement asserting that the museum “required renovation and augmentation, not demolition”. In October 2023, another appeal was signed by students and academics. Currently, only 10 per cent of the total artefacts are believed to be on display, with no system of accessing them digitally.
Historians have stepped in to do their bit. Author Swapna Liddle, who has written popular histories such as
Shahjahanabad: Mapping a Mughal City, refers to a History Collective initiated by a few historians and academics, who post daily on their social media profiles stories of the museum’s artefacts.
“Digitising the museum’s artefacts so that they can be accessed digitally is our way of wishing the museum farewell before it is demolished,” says Liddle.
Tangible history
What initially started as an exhibition evolved into a national institution for the country. The museum was designed by GB Deolalikar whose foundation stone was laid by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955. The museum was finally opened to the public in 1960.“There is rich history related to this place,” says Liddle. How accessible will the new museum be, she adds. “Museums and monuments are places where you come closest to the idea of experiencing history, thanks to the tangible objects on display,” says historian Shashank S Sinha.