Museum Day Images: The Indian Museum in Kolkata is the largest museum in Asia-Pacific region
Today is International Museum Day. The day dedicated to raise awareness about museums is being celebrated since 1977. The main objective of International Museum Day is to let people know the significant role played by museums in preserving the culture and heritage of countries. Museums are not just huge buildings and museums have no borders. “Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples,” according to the International Council of Museums. International Museum Day events are organised around the world and more and more museums participate in these events. Last year, more than 37,000 museums participated in the events in about 158 countries, according to the ICM. The theme of 2021 International Museum Day is – The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine.
International Museum Day: Know the famous museums of India
The Indian Museum, Kolkata: The largest and oldest museum in India, the Indian Museum has rare collections of antiques, fossils, mummies, and Mughal paintings among others. It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata in 1814. The Indian Museum has six sections comprising 35 galleries – Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Economic Botany. The 4,000-year-old Egyptian Mummy and the urn that is said to contain the relics of the Buddha are a must-watch.
The Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad: One of the National Museums of India, the Salar Jung Museum is known for its great collection of sculptures, paintings, carvings, textiles, manuscripts, ceramics, metallic artefacts, carpets, clocks, and furniture from Japan, China, Burma, Nepal, India, Persia, Egypt, Europe, and North America. It is one of the largest museums in the world.
The National Museum, Delhi: One of the best museums in the Indian subcontinent, the national Museum has around 150,000 items covering some five millennia. This museum has treasures like the Chola statue of the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, artefacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, relics of the Buddha from Piprahwa and an great collection of miniature paintings.
Submarine Museum, Vishakhapatnam: Looked after former personnel of the Indian Navy, this one-of-a kind museum in India is a must-watch. This was India’s 5th submarine, procured from Russia. It participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
On the occasion of the International Museum Day, Prahlad Patel, Minister of Culture and Tourism will participate in a webinar at 3 PM today. You can watch Live on Facebook (https://facebook.com/indiaculture.goi) or register and participate. (https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BQ_7G4ZZTxKuYS2_1q2Hkg)