SHIFTING PRIORITIES OF A NATIONAL MUSEUM –
THE JOURNEY OF NATIONAL MUSEUM NEW DELHI
Joyoti Roy, Outreach Consultant
Dr. R.K Tewari, Deputy Curator, Numismatics,
National Museum New Delhi
Museums in India have undergone The foundation of the present building
important changes in the last decade. These located in the heart of Delhi city on Janpathwas
changes are reflected in the priority placed upon laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime
collections, display, representations and public Minister of India, on May 12, 1955. The first
engagement. By virtue of being a National phase of building was formally inaugurated by
The Exhibition at Rashtrapati Bhavan after return from London and the first catalogue
Museum, the Museum in New Delhi has histor- [Link] Radhakrishnan, the Vice President Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi
ically taken on a complex role, which needs revi- of India, on December 18, 1960. The second
sion from time to time. In today’s environment, phase of building was completed in 1989. Today, The 1948 Burlington House Exhibition great change. Like the Indian Museum, the Na-
the balancing of political history, ethnography it remains as it was upon completion. showcased collections from Indian Princely tional Museum was first meant to address the
and art is precarious and sensitive. It calls for States, Archaeological Site Museums and private foreign visitor. They were both capsules of Indian
deep introspection. Through a discussion of the Established in 1814 by the British in their donors. When the idea of a National Museum history and culture, which would help orient the
journey of the National Museum in Delhi, this colonial capital of Kolkata, the Indian Museum was mooted, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru had to per- outsider to what laid within India.
paper recounts the story of a national museum was a much larger museum that predated the sonally write letters to each of the donors asking
in-making, addressing the expectations it is faced National Museum in Delhi – so, why did they them to donate their collections permanently 2. EARLY DAYS: ENCYCLOPAEDIC
with today and how it deals with them. While build a new museum rather than make the to the new National Museum. This was not an COLLECTIONS, DYNASTIC HISTORIES
many matters remain unresolved, the role of the Indian Museum a national museum? The Indian easy task. While some donors agreed generously, AND AN ABSENCE OF THE LOCAL
museum is determined by the people. The peo- Museum is the oldest museum not just in India others found it difficult to part with their prized
ple’s needs guide the way in which the museum but in the entire Asia-Pacific region. However, possessions permanently. This call for donations The Archaeological Survey of India,
defines its function. India needed a National Museum at the heart was in the name of building a national asset that which was established in 1861, nearly a hundred
of its independent capital city in New Delhi. would remind the people of India for generations years before the National Museum, New Delhi,
1. NATIONAL MUSEUM – BEGINNINGS The genesis of the National Museum at Delhi to come how rich their histories were. The Na- has carried out numerous excavations since its in-
emerged from an exhibition that took place tional Museum finally had a large enough core ception. By the time the National Museum, New
The blueprint for establishing the Na- very close to its independence, when the need collection to open in 1949. Delhi, was established, it had already established
tional Museum in Delhi was prepared by the to assert the national nature of our collections many site museums; the first was at Sarnath
Maurice Gwyer Committee in May 1946. An was crucial. Before this, collections were located While the Museum continued to grow its (near present day Varanasi). Each of these site
exhibition of Indian Art, consisting of selected regionally and were owned by local people, collection through gifts that were sought pains- museums housed collections from nearby finds
artefacts from various museums of India was museums and royal treasuries. India was ready to takingly, artefacts were also collected through or excavations. Site museums were established by
organised by the Royal Academy, London in build herself into a nation and it was important its Arts Purchase Committee in the 1980s and the British in pre-independence India and were
cooperation with the governments of India and to show the World and its own people that this 90s. The Museum presently holds approximately visual store-houses of a large number of objects
Britain. The exhibition went on display in the country that had struggled for over 3 centuries 200,000 objects of diverse natures, including that could be studied and correlated with the
galleries of Burlington House, London during for independence, now stood united. With all of objects of Indian as well as foreign origin. It’s site they came from.
the winter months of 1947-48. Upon its return, India’s cultural accoutrements pooled together, holdings cover more than five thousand years of
it was decided that the same collection should there must be a space and place that could hold Indian cultural heritage. When collections from these site
be on display in Delhi. As a result, an exhibition this valuable representation of ‘being one nation’ museums were brought to Delhi for the core col-
along the same lines was organized in Rashtra- under one roof - only a National Museum could While the National Museum was estab- lection of the National Museum, their context
patiBhawan (President’s residence) in 1949. This embody this sentiment. lished to serve a national agenda, in the decades and function changed. They now carried on
seeded the idea for the creation of a National following its establishment, the motivations and their shoulders the responsibility of represent-
Museum of India. the relevance of its national function underwent ing a national history. If one visits the Sarnath
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Shifting priorities of a national museum – The journey of National Museum New Delhi Joyoti Roy and Dr. R.K Tewari
first floor include a gallery on Indian Coinage Museum in New Delhi. This was in spite of the
and Numismatics and the Central Asian Antiq- National Museum in Delhi being established
uities. The third and final level in the Museum with the great impetus of representing the ‘na-
has a Textile Gallery, a Wood Carving Gallery, tional’.
Arms and Armour Gallery, The Pre-Columbian
and Western Arts Gallery, Musical Instruments For over 5 decades, the National Museum
Gallery and a gallery titled North-East Lifestyle. in New Delhi has perpetuated this narrative
without questioning it. There are advantages
This arrangement of galleries closely and disadvantages in this kind of story-telling
reflects the Indian Museum in Kolkata. The which interfere with the real meaning of the
curatorial plan of the Indian Museum reflects ‘national’ and must be probed today.
how the British wished to understand Indian
history. Archaeology, anthropology and the In brief, the collecting practices in the
study of natural sciences were all important first few decades of the National Museum’s estab-
academic fields which the British established in lishment were encyclopaedic. They were neatly
India. To begin with, in the early 19th century, assembled and packed into a linear chronological
these were tools for surveillance but gradually history, where possible, and at other instances
they were strengthened with technologies such they were either put into the Decorative Arts
as photography and print-making. Many British or into material and technique specific galleries.
Officers pursued these independent fields of This trend has to be broken for the museum to
study. Therefore, objects utilised by Archaeology, remain relevant to its public.
Early Sculpture Gallery at the National Museum
art, anthropology, zoology and botany had to be
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi under one roof. The museum ‘conflated’ every 3. DEALING WITH ANTHROPOLOGY–
aspect of India (then a British Colony) into one A COMPLEX PLOT
museum today, one will realise that its remark- a Buddhist Art Gallery was added to this mix capsule so that India’s history and geography
able masterpieces are still displayed like a ‘list’, to celebrate the large collection of Buddhist could be understood as a simple linear story Initially developed as a science and
with minimum explanation and a narrative that artefacts in the possession of National Museum. without any complexities. Chronology and clas- thought to be guided by logic alone, the field
only engages the scholar, who already has knowl- sification of objects based on the material and of Anthropology has undergone many inter-
edge of the site and its history. For the common The sculpture galleries are followed by a technique (stone, wood, paintings, textiles) was pretations. Today, Cultural Studies probably
visitor, there is little to engage with. A similar section on Indian Miniature paintings – a rich at the centre of this curatorial logic. describes its ambit best. A shift of priorities from
manner of display was seen in the early galleries and diverse tradition of India. The gallery is tangible heritage to intangible heritage in the
of the National Museum which has 3 floors and essentially divided into various schools of min- A growing friendship between the British last 2 decades has propelled the understanding
over 27 galleries. iature paintings – Pahari, Rajasthani, Decani, and princely states also helped in funding of Indian history and culture that manifests in
Central Indian and Mughal. Further on is the conservation and excavation at various sites; its languages and dialects, culinary traditions,
The first few galleries of the National Decorative Arts Gallery. The Decorative Arts for example, the conservation of the Sanchi lifestyle, creation myths, literature and the
Museum are chronologically arranged (starting is a genre which emerged in the British vocab- Stupa was sponsored by the Begum of Bhopal everyday arts. These forms of culture reflect
with the Indus Civilisation collections of 2500 ulary to refer to crafts and utilitarian objects of in early 20th Century and Sir John Marshall, people and practices that are difficult to repre-
BC to the Late Medieval Sculpture of the 14th daily use that had very high craftsmanship and the first Director General of ASI worked on it. sent in a museum. The discussion, debate and
to the 15th Century). This has remained intact aesthetic value. The period and provenance of The Sanchi Museum, is one of the earliest site sharing of which is essential to the process of
for many years and reflects the understanding such objects is usually from the late 18th to the museums of India and showcases finds from the museum-making.
of Indian histories through dynasties. This is a 19th century and represent a period of collecting site of Sanchi. Such trends ensured that histo-
historiography that needs urgent updating. Oc- craft items by Indian royalty and later by colonial riography was carefully structured. The piecing And all these dwell strongly on the people
casionally and within these galleries, sculptures connoisseurs. An extension of the Decorative together of the story of India through these sites and their practices which are difficult to capture
are organised by religious subjects, whether Arts Gallery is the jewellery collection which was ultimately mirrored in our museums; first in a museum. Yet, nevertheless, must be part of
Buddhist, Jain or Hindu. Later, in the mid-1960s, was recently re-curated. The galleries on the at the Indian Museum and later in the National mainstream museum-making. The Anthropolo-
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Shifting priorities of a national museum – The journey of National Museum New Delhi Joyoti Roy and Dr. R.K Tewari
gy Collection of the National Museum has met the Mizos of Mizoram, the Ao, Angami, Sema,
a similar fate. Lotha and Konyak of Nagaland, and the Riang
from Tripura are on view in this gallery.
This collection at the National Museum
consists of about 8,000 objects. It was built over While the North-East Lifestyle Gallery
the years through purchases, gifts by various depicts the composite culture of this region,
private donors and collected through the surveys the Tradition, Art and Continuity Gallery was
conducted by officials of the department in tribal established and opened only in February 2014
belts and rural areas. The collection was further with a completely different approach, which is
enriched by the acquisition of significant objects discussed in the next section.
by Dr. Verrier Elwin (1902–1964), an eminent
British anthropologist. These artefacts reflect 4. NEW GALLERIES AT NATIONAL
the rituals and customs related to life cycles, eco- MUSEUM –TANJORE AND MYSORE
nomic pursuits and traditions of various Indian PAINTINGS, TRADITION, ART
communities. The collection comprises of arte- AND CONTINUITY AND THE
facts in a variety of materials and mediums such JEWELLERY GALLERY.
as terracotta, textile, basketry, bone wood, metal,
paper, leather etc. The seven states in the North Between 2013 and 2015, the National
East of India, colloquially known as ‘The Seven Museum established three important galleries Tradition, Art and Continuity Gallery
Sisters’ have an extensive variety of customs, life- – the Tanjore and Mysore Paintings Gallery, Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi
styles and traditions. The display highlights the Tradition, Art and Continuity Gallery and the
are, are actually from the home shrines of the ern Lifestyle Gallery which tries to address the
regional similarity in cultural traits. The tradi- Jewellery Gallery.
Vaishnav and Shaivite devotees from the temple large and complex region of the North-east by
tional apparel, jewellery, basketry, wood carvings
town of Tanjore (in present day Tamil Nadu) and placing textile and tribal objects quite randomly.
and personal adornments of some of the groups, The Tanjore and Mysore Paintings
Mysore in Karnataka. While on the one hand, The Tradition, Art and Continuity Gallery, on
mirror the life and culture of the different people Gallery was opened in 2013. It was a pleasant
this gallery showcased arts practices of a partic- the other hand tackled the people’s art in a dif-
in the region. The glimpse of everyday life of the departure from the chronology, material and
ular community, it is clearly a reflection of local ferent manner. It clusters various kinds of peo-
Monpa, Sherdukpen, Khowa, Apatani, Mishmi, medium based gallery classification. It is based
styles of South India that are very difficult to fit ple’s crafts – basketry, metal sculptures, masks,
Adi, Nocte, Wancho, Singhpho and Khampti on a local South Indian style of painting, a tra-
into any linear narrative of a history of India. ritual objects, jewellery, narrative paintings etc.
of Arunachal Pradesh, the Karbi and Bodo of dition derived from domestic practices. Tanjore
Tanjore and Mysore paintings are somewhere This was a clever curation of similarly used
Assam, the Thangkul and Kuki of Manipur, and Mysore paintings, rich and beautiful as they
between high religious art and folk expressions. objects from across India, including the North-
They are continuously influenced by local con- East, Central India, North India, East India and
temporary trends. While the National Museum South India. More importantly, it was titled
constructed and put on display this public gallery Tradition, Art and Continuity. It captures the spirit
because it had a sizeable collection of Tanjore with which Indian communities create, use and
and Mysore paintings, the gallery actually destroy art. This too was a renewed approach to
enriched the overall narrative of the Museum representational issues that was not bound by
representing the national. This is because local, region, period or dynasty. It acknowledged the
folk and contemporary traditions of art making craftsmen and their skills.
are as national as the classical sculptures.
The Jewellery Gallery which opened
The second new gallery that opened recently is also a new exciting beginning. The
in February 2014 was the Tradition, Art and jewellery pieces on display have been arranged
Continuity Gallery. This gallery must be seen in in two sections: On one side, they are displayed
Tanjore and Mysore Paintings Gallery
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi comparison to the approach of the North-East- according to which part of the body they are
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Shifting priorities of a national museum – The journey of National Museum New Delhi Joyoti Roy and Dr. R.K Tewari
worn on: head and hair ornaments, neck pieces, by design and display, are the new emerging face
bangles, waist belts and anklets. On the other of the National Museum – more accessible to its
side, and more importantly, they are organised own people, jargon free and soul enriching.
by type: Temple jewellery, marriage jewellery, 5. BALANCING IT WITH EXHIBITIONS
dance jewellery and ritual jewellery. There is an
emphasised focus on the technique and influenc- The trends in the new galleries, however,
es from one part of India on others and so on. do not mean that all the old methodologies are
This classification allows the visitor to engage denounced and that no chronology should be
with the pieces in a universal manner. In other told. Within the last 2 years, the museum has
words, earrings from Kashmir (in the north) to organized over 15 exhibitions, some large and
Bengal (in the East) to Kerala (in the South) are some small but essentially, it has become a hub
all put in one cabinet and allow visitors to see in for public expression.
a short span the wonder that was India in the
modern day. Curators who do not work in the Nation- The Body in Indian Art Exhibition
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi
al Museum are now closely working with its col-
These galleries take a pleasant detour lections to make exhibitions. In this regard, there
from chronological and dynastic storytelling are three examples that must be mentioned:
and represent the local flavour and fabric of
India that matter to a larger cross-section of In early 2014, the Museum hosted one
Indian people. The galleries employ a language of largest exhibitions in its history called the
that is understood by all and looks familiar and Body in Indian Art. The exhibition showcased
more inviting. over 300 objects from over 44 lenders across
India. The exhibition was curated by an external
This shift of curatorial practice, enriched curator, Dr. Naman Ahuja. The exhibtion was
Objects in the Deccan Art Exhibition
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi
originally mounted for the Belgian Festival of sculptures on the same platform.
India and was shown at the National Museum
upon its return. While the exhibition included In January 2015 the museum collaborated
the best classical masterpieces of Indian art, it with the Aesthetics Project to host an exhibi-
began with a wooden tribal sculpture of a Naga tion titled Nauras: The Many Arts of Deccan. The
warrior. This was a conscious decision on the exhibition showcased objects from the Deccani
part of the curator who chose to begin with an period of Indian history which was an extremely
object that came from one of the most unknown cosmopolitan era. The Pre-Mughal Deccani
North-eastern states of India. This was an im- period has often been overshadowed by Mughal
portant national statement for the exhibition history. Representing the many histories of India
and for the museum. The exhibition had put so as to allow pluralistic narratives to be told is
Jewellery Gallery
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi classical sculptures and tribal ethnographic also the responsibility of a national museum.
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Shifting priorities of a national museum – The journey of National Museum New Delhi
Blind children being shown the Cadence and Counterpart Exhibition
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi (Blank Page)
National Museum, New Delhi
Image courtesy of the National Museum New Delhi
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