1) Stolen antiquities, museums, national treasures, celebration of heritage and more...some thoughts/introspection... 
2) When it comes to antiquities of our civilization especially artistic heritage of our past I have often seen Indians lamenting about how great many of our treasures have made their ways to the international museums either during colonial rule or due to recent smuggling.
3) While it is very valid feeling some moderation is desired.
Smuggled artifacts should be brought back to country without any exception. & so are some rare antiquities of great importance such as Kohinoor, Amaravati Marbles, Sultanganj buddha & so on.
Smuggled artifacts should be brought back to country without any exception. & so are some rare antiquities of great importance such as Kohinoor, Amaravati Marbles, Sultanganj buddha & so on.
4) But what purpose will it serve if your only intention is to bring back each and every other Indian artifact & then shut them in some dark store room? Wouldn't it have been better to let them act as brand ambassador of our country & its ancient culture in foreign lands?
5) Ofcourse even in this later case attempt should be made to gain nominal authority over those artifacts even if they are gonna stay in foreign museums. But they being in foreign museums on display will serve the purpose of country better than anything else.
6) That brings to my second and more important question. Even if we bring back all those antiquities are we prepared to restore them with their full honour? Are we really worthy recipient of our great and glorious past?
7) Do we have great museums which can act as places of worthy of that much lamented artifacts of ours?Forget about stolen artifacts - how are we managing artifacts that are present in our own country/museums?
Answer for all these questions is very disappointing.
Answer for all these questions is very disappointing.
8) Let me give you the glimpses of some noted foreign museums to show how far behind we are for no other reasons except for our ignorance, incompetence and most importantly lack of any desire to showcase and celebrate our own culture!
9) This is Natural history museum of London. For me it was probably one of the first visit to any museum that is still etched in my mind. At that time it was skeleton of Dinosaur at entrance which is now replaced by giant whale skeleton.
10) It isn't that we don't have impressive skeletons of dinosaurs and big whales in our museums but how one presents it to tourists makes huge difference in their mind!
Perhaps I am exaggerating but that is my feeling!
Perhaps I am exaggerating but that is my feeling!
11) No doubt Museum greatly impressed me. It was partially because of its great collection showcased in very tourist friendly manner but the building itself had that aura of grandeur that easily mesmerized me.
This is btw case with most major museums of any western country,
This is btw case with most major museums of any western country,
12) For rich civ as ours I can't think of any Indian museum that can compete in architectural excellence with those museums. Baring museums created by colonial masters we have hardly built any grand museum which we can be true home of our precious heritage. 😏
13) Why can't we have a grand museum with painted ceiling like the natural museum of London?
Say some India museum inspired by the great Chaitya halls of Maurya-Gupta period or some other native architectural tradition... Why can't we build such museum? i don't know the answer!
Say some India museum inspired by the great Chaitya halls of Maurya-Gupta period or some other native architectural tradition... Why can't we build such museum? i don't know the answer!
14) Now Lets move to Pergamon Museum Berlin.
This is the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. No this isn't some replica but original gate itself! Entire gate was transported brick by brick from Iraq to Berlin & reconstructed there inside the museum!
This is the Ishtar Gate of Babylon. No this isn't some replica but original gate itself! Entire gate was transported brick by brick from Iraq to Berlin & reconstructed there inside the museum!
15) If we ignore the tragic story of plunder for a time being then it is Such a brilliant reconstruction that it takes you back directly into Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon!
16) Museum however got its name from Pergomon Altar - that originally stood on Acropolis in Athens. Like Ishtar gate it was also brought to the Berlin and reconstructed back to its life size form!
17) Every piece of marble in its exact place as it was there thousands of years ago with missing columns and slabs added to complete the entire altar...
18) Whether it is Ottoman era Mansion or Market gate of ancient roman city - once again one finds the same brilliant reconstruction in the same museum.
19) What about us? We - the inheritors of great architectural and artistic heritage of thousands of years...don't we have anything to showcase like that? Can't we build any such great museum?
20) Yup we do. >2000 yr old Bharhut stupa for eg...its intricately carved railing was moved to the Museum of Kolkata where it still lies.
How about reconstructing it completely so that it would have looked just like some ancient stupa surrounded by railing (as in fig 4)? 😍
How about reconstructing it completely so that it would have looked just like some ancient stupa surrounded by railing (as in fig 4)? 😍
21) It would have been even greater to see full reconstruction of >2000 years old Amaravati Stupa. Unlike Bharhut stupa it had tragic fate. Its elaborately carved marble panels were removed from original site & sent to museums all over India and best ones to Britain. ☹️
22) Fortunately we know the original plan of Amaravati Stupa. So it can be easily reconstructed to full scale. Even if we can't get back some of the original slabs we can replace it with replica for a time being as in the case of Athens museum as I will show later on.
23) Imagine full size Amaravati Stupa covered with its elaborate panel in its full glory. It would have been site to behold with.
but well we are so unfortunate that most Indians don't even know about this great heritage partially lying in British museum!
but well we are so unfortunate that most Indians don't even know about this great heritage partially lying in British museum!
24) And then we have those richly carved wooden mansions (Wadas of Maratha elites of 17th century for eg)- many of which are lying in decadent condition throughout country. May be one of them can be rescued from that misery by transferring it to some museum!
25) And most important of all - ruins of our once great temples lying neglected in some remote corners of country. May be some of them can be rescued & reconstructed inside some museum and utilized to impart some knowledge of Vastushastra traditions to our people!
26) All this can be done. But what are we doing instead? whining about the stolen heritage while ignoring that heritage which is still in our own country! Typical Indian mentality of ours!
27) That brings me to third museum - Newly opened museum of Athens near Acropolis.
Greece - land of another great civilization. Just like Indians they are also yearning & trying aggressively for the return of their most precious artifacts from foreign lands.
Greece - land of another great civilization. Just like Indians they are also yearning & trying aggressively for the return of their most precious artifacts from foreign lands.
28) So perhaps we can learn something from their example. And indeed new museum at Athens has many things to teach to us.
29) Portion of the museum has been built over the site of ancient archaeological site. Can't we build something like that over Mahabharat era archaeological site of Purana qila or some Harappan site?
30) Also Look how it is designed with big glass walls so that one can appreciate ancient statues in natural light with acropolis in background visible from the museum! Just like they would have looked like in public space 1000s of years ago.
31)Now Imagine just like Athens some Indian museum at Puri/Somnath/Madurai where one can appreciate Indian Murtis with towering Shikhara in background view! It will give entirely new appreciation & context to sculptural art when compared to their current random display at museum!
32) some of the greatest treasure of Athens are currently in Brit museum. But instead of just lamenting only they have put the POP replicas in their museum along with remaining sculptures. So that tourists can get the idea of their grievance and sympathize with their cause.
33) May be we can learn from it. Ofcourse it isn't about display though.
Entire museum culture needs to be developed in our country. Starting from school trips to organizing events in museum (recall recent Metgala at Met museum, New york?) much can be done to raise awareness.
Entire museum culture needs to be developed in our country. Starting from school trips to organizing events in museum (recall recent Metgala at Met museum, New york?) much can be done to raise awareness.
34) High quality souvenir shops can be established in museum premises where one can sell mementos - such as imitated jewelry or clay toys from ancient India and such.
35) Ofcourse all this can be done and needs to be done. But what are we doing?Lamenting and whining about our artifacts in foreign museums (where they are treated much better then they would have been in India) and neglecting all the above mentioned things!
36) If only we can simultaneously start working on developing "museum culture" if I may use such a word, it would be much more helpful than simple complaining!
37) But well this is also just useless ranting/ whining on my part with some exaggeration. and I apologize for jamming your TL.
However even if this thread can atleast put a thought in mind of even a single person in power to act on it, it will be worth of it I suppose.
However even if this thread can atleast put a thought in mind of even a single person in power to act on it, it will be worth of it I suppose.
