NEW DELHI: After nearly five decades, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will relocate its rare collection of antiquities from the Central Antiquity Collection (CAC) housed at the 16th-century Purana Quila to new facilities at the Red Fort and the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology in Greater Noida, officials said.
The CAC, one of ASI’s key repositories, houses over 2.72 lakh antiquities including pottery fragments, tools, seals, and artefacts recovered from excavations across the subcontinent. The collection features items from prominent archaeological sites such as Harappa, Mohenjodaro, and Taxila, along with artefacts from Kalibangan, Hastinapur, and several other locations.
Officials said the relocation aims to improve preservation and management. “CAC is our rich and important collection, currently stored in old cells at Purana Quila where moisture and humidity pose a serious threat. The site lacks space and modern conservation facilities, which may lead to irreversible physical, chemical, and biological degradation. Therefore, it has been decided to shift the collection to larger, better-equipped structures.This will also ensure easier access for researchers,” they said.
Under the plan, part of the collection will be moved to a British-era barrack within the Red Fort complex, while the remaining antiquities—primarily pottery—will be transferred to the Greater Noida institute.
The relocation will be carried out under the supervision of senior officials, with antiquities transported in sealed boxes. Authorities have been directed to ensure proper arrangements, safe custody, and accurate inventory management.
The CAC was established in the 1910s to house antiquities from British archaeologist Aurel Stein’s Central Asian expeditions. It was initially located in the ASI’s main building, later shifted to Safdarjung Tomb in 1958, and then to Purana Quila in 1974. The repository also stores antiquities confiscated by agencies such as the police, Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and Customs.