National Museum artefacts to be moved to ‘secret site’
NEW DELHI: The National Museum has started scheduling the shifting of antiquities to an “undisclosed” location. According to officials, the movement is likely to begin by November-end when the museum will shut for visitors and researchers.
The museum is yet to finalise an agency to be appointed to transport over 2 lakh heritage objects from the pre-historic era to modern artworks. The building housing the National Museum was established in 1960.
The administration is tight-lipped about the storage facility, where artifacts could be stockpiled safely. However, the staff have been asked to plan packing and shifting.
“The process to select an expert agency to cautiously transport the precious antiquities has already begun. Shifting is being prioritized. It may start by the end of the next month because the building is to be surrendered by March. Meetings are being held to ensure the shifting is completed smoothly without any damage to the properties,” said an official.
As part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, the museum is proposed to relocate in 950 rooms in the North and South blocks. Covering 1.17 lakh square metre, the museum in its new avatar — divided in seven wings — will be known as ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat’.
The call and messages sent to the director general, National Museum BR Mani to seek his comments didn’t elicit any response. The joint secretary of the culture ministry Mugdha Sinha, who is in charge of the museum division, also didn’t comment.
It is learnt that the museum administration has finalised the tender document to rope in an agent for shifting and sent it to the ministry for approval.
Heritage enthusiasts, writers and historians have been opposing the demolition of the building since the unveiling of the proposal. Recently, a group of students shot off an online letter to PM Narendra Modi to “halt the demolition”.
“One of our foremost concerns is the potential dangers associated with the relocation of these priceless artifacts. The sheer magnitude of the collection, with works dating back millennia, presents a formidable challenge in terms of transportation and preservation. Moving them risks irreparable damage, loss, or theft, which would result in the permanent loss of our cultural treasures,” read the letter.