Museums Of India
Odyssey illustrated guide to Museums Of India Books By Shobita Punja.
Sushil Rawal
9/25/20263 min read
Author : Shobita Punja
Publisher : Seven Hills Books
Language : English
Pages : 307 pages
ISBN : 978-81-8495-
India's museums house many of the greatest artistic treasures ever produced in the sub-continent. Some of them are well-known; others are favourite haunts of the well-informed; all deserve much greater attention. The history of these museums, like those in other parts of the world, reflects a pattern of changing concerns with the past, the present and the future. In India two sets of attitudes to time confront each other, the one indigenous, the other introduced.
The idea of the museum is in some way alien to India, but there had of course always been royal treasuries, storehouses of works of art, that serviced courtly ceremonies. Temples, too, large and small, owned collections of textiles, manuscripts, images of deities, and ritual appurtenances for use in their daily rites and their annual cycle of festivals. But these treasured items, whether of great antiquity or of recent manufacture, were an integral part of a living tradition.
It was the British who established India's first 'museum' at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. As the Western concept of time as a linear sequence gained ground in India, and Britain recognised the importance of documenting India's natural resources, museums began to gradually establish themselves as centres for the safe-keeping of items of cultural, historical and scientific importance, and their number grew steadily through the 19th and early 20th centuries. Since Independence, as the pace of economic change has accelerated, India's museums have become even more important as guardians of valuable cultural traditions. There are, however, striking differences between museums in India and those in the West. In India, for many of the museum-going public, the items on display are still part of their living tradition. Images of deities. —their iconography readily recognisable — may even be viewed as objects of reverence rather than examples of high art.
Kings and emperors depicted in miniature paintings are familiar — the heroes of a continuing, popular, oral tradition. The shapes and styles of more utilitarian objects evoke childhood memories among the older generation. The strength of this cultural continuity, which obviates some of the local visitor's need or wish for extensive verbal explanation has, however, clear disadvantages for the foreign visitor who has come to expect didactic aids even when confronting his own cultural past. That is perhaps why, India's museums have hitherto received little attention in general guides for tourists. They have certainly never been the sole focus of interest.
This new guide, the first of its kind, is thus an invaluable addition to the literature. It provides not only an introduction to the most important of India's museums, but also, by means of a general essay on Indian cultural history and aesthetic philosophy, a simple route through the complex maze of India's cultural traditions. Descriptions of particular museums both survey the range of their collections and highlight important artifacts for close attention. India's museums are a microcosm of her rich history and varied traditions. The buildings that house them reflect, too, the diversity of her architecture. Archaeological site museums allow the visitor to examine artifacts in relation to the total site. A museum like the Crafts Museum in New Delhi, with its village-style layout, gives the visitor a preview of India's rural traditions.
The museums housed in the City Palace at Jaipur and the Fort at Jodhpur evoke the former glories of the Rajput courts. The Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad and other later 19th- and early 20th-century princely collections demonstrate the eclectic taste of the maharajas of the period. The Prince of Wales Museum, its central range built in 1914, is an accomplished example of the so-called Indo-Saracenic style of architecture which became important in the late 19th century. Teen Murti House in New Delhi, built in a European classical style, and now the Nehru Memorial Museum, offers revealing insights into India's 20th-century history in a setting that highlights the ironies of the complex relationships that developed between Britain and India.
Charles Correa's design for the new Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal, itself an experimental form of museum, exemplifies the achievements of India's contemporary architects. Some of the great works of art from India's museum collections have been shown over the past decade in festivals of India throughout the world. Many more can be seen on their home ground. This richly illustrated volume will be an enjoyable companion and indispensable guide on the road to their discovery.
Dr D A Swallow Curator of the Indian Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.