Component-I (A) – Personal details:

The Typology of the Museum-2

Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Shri Supreo Chanda Dept.of Museology, .

Dr Dhriti Ray Dept. of Museology, University of Calcutta.

Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

1

Component-I (B) – Description of module:

Subject Name Indian Culture

Paper Name Museology

Module Name/Title The Typology of the Museum-2

Module Id IC / MUS / 08

Pre-requisites Knowledge of Museums, types, scope and significance

Objectives To understand the diverse nature of Indian museum in terms of its nature, collections and functions. The chapter will focus the existence of various types of museum and its contents.

Keywords museum, collections, nature, types

E-text (Quadrant-I) 1. Introduction is the country with diverse natural and cultural heritage unique to the world. The country is the witness of the existence of prehistoric human settlements; the rise and fall of many civilizations and royal powers; emergence and extinction of many flora and fauna, as well as the development of science and technology since the days immemorial. India is the land of great personalities who contributed immensely in the freedom of India, discovery and development of science, technology, art, architecture, literature and culture. The rich socio- cultural heritage of India can be characterized under two categories material and non- material or tangible and intangible heritage. In tangible heritage we see old remnants, archaeological sites, art, crafts, manuscripts and many more. Intangible heritage includes traditions, music, dance, literature, folklores, fables, rites, rituals, festivals etc. In such a country museums play an important role in preserving and exhibiting the heritage for the knowledge of mankind. No one type or category of museum is enough for portraying the heritage and thus more than hundred types of museums are in India now those preserve and exhibit the diversity of heritage. 2. National Museums Government of India has established many museums as National Museums that represent the nation or national collection on the subject it is concerned. Many of such museums are in New and few are scattered throughout India. Like, National Museum; National Gallery of Modern Art; National Science Centre; National Museum of Natural History; National Telecom Museum; National Library; National Archive; National Craft Museum etc. Here is the brief history of the establishment and collection of the National Museum. 2.1 National Museum, New Delhi The National Museum was formally inaugurated by Shri. C.Rajagopalachari, the Governor – General of India, on the auspicious occasion of 15th August 1949. The Museum presently holds approximately 2,00,000 objects of a diverse nature, both Indian as well as foreign origin, and its holdings cover a time span of more than five thousand years of Indian cultural heritage. All the collections are displayed through different galleries on Harappan Civilisation, Archaeology, Buddhist Art, Indian Miniature Paintings, Evolution of Indian Scripts and Coins, Central Asian Antiquity, Coins, Indian Textiles, Pre-Columbian and Western Art, Wood Carving, Musical Instruments, Tribal Lifestyle of North-, Arms

2

and Amours and Temple Chariots. They develop new galleries and also run regular exhibitions on different subjects as per need time to time. Among the important collections the museum has the dancing doll of Mohenjo-Daro, sacred relics of the Buddha (5th-4th century B.C.), miniatures of Mughal, Deccani, Central Indian, Rajasthani, Pahari schools of the period from 1000 A.D. to 1900 A.D.

National Museum, New Delhi

3. Museums of the National Importance A few old, unique and important museums are in India, which are administered by the respective Board of Trustees and not directly under the control of the Ministry of Culture. Government of India has declared these museums as museum of National Importance. These are  Indian Museum, —Oldest museum in India;  Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad—largest one man collection,  Chattrapati Sivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai,  Indira Gandhi Rastriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal etc.

3.1. Indian Museum, Kolkata The Indian Museum is the museum of National Importance in Kolkata was founded in 1814. It is the earliest and the largest multipurpose Museum not only in the Indian subcontinent but also in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. At present there are twenty seven galleries under the six sections on Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany. The famous Bharhut remains are in the possession of this museum. The museum which was known in the beginning as the “Asiatic Society Museum” subsequently came to be known as the “Imperial Museum” later familiarized as the “Indian Museum”. The museum is more familiar by the name Jadughar or Ajabghar among the visitors. 4. General/Multipurpose Museum In general museum, different types of collections are gathered in the same place. In majority of cases, these museums came into being in the 19th century. Some of them originated from private collections. In big museums, collections are divided into a number of sections. Broad divisions are made in arts and science and under them various subsections. In such cases, specimens of arts, archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy, painting, manuscripts, arms and armours, decorative arts, textiles, natural history, etc. are included within its scope balancing uniform development of each discipline. Under science division galleries are made on Zoology, Botany, Anthropology, Geology etc.

3

There are large numbers of general museums in India like  The Indian Museum, Kolkata, which is the first multipurpose museum in this country as well as in the South Asia.  Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad, showcases Indian Art, Far Eastern art, European Art, Middle Eastern art, children’s section etc. Apart from this, a gallery is devoted to the celebrated Salar Jung family.  The Maharaja Chhatrapati Sivaji Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai consists of different sculptures from Indus Valley Civilization, Gandhara and medieval periods, Indian miniature paintings, Tibetan and Nepalese arts, European Paintings and decorative arts etc.

Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj Vastu Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad Sangrahalaya, Mumbai 5. Art Museum The art museums are those institutions or buildings in which paintings, sculptures and decorative art objects are exhibited. Art Galleries, Portrait galleries, Modern Art museums, Folk lore museums, crafts museums etc. are fall under this category.

5.1. Art Gallery: It is generally halls and cluster off rooms, specially designed for temporary or permanent art exhibitions. For example,  Sri Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in Mysore, exhibits glass paintings, oil paintings, paintings of Raja Ravi Verma, Company paintings etc.  The Sri Chitra Art Gallery in Thiruvananthapuram exhibits modern Indian paintings, Indo-European paintings of Raja Ravi Verma, Svetlova and Nichoas Roerich, the Mughal, Rajasthani and Tanjore Paintings, the Chinese, Japanese, Tibet and Bali etc.  The Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai exhibits contemporary paintings.  The National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi exhibits contemporary arts productions and outdoor life-size sculpture exhibitions.  The Bharat Bhawan, Bhopal is a multi-cultural art centre set up to create an interaction within the verbal, visual and performing arts.

5.2. Portrait Gallery: There are many portrait gallery in India established to collect and exhibit portraits of persons who had a distinct role in the history of a country.

4

 The Archaeological Museum and Portrait Gallery, Goa, has a gallery devoted to portraits on wood and canvas. Visitors can have a glance at the short history of the Governors and Viceroys of Goa. 5.3. Folk Art Museum: It possess collection that amply reflect the vigour and vitality of the rural life along with a vivid picture of social traditions, religious beliefs, practices, motifs and their aesthetic and cultural influences among the rural folk. Folk art comprises of art forms made of clay, wood, bamboo, leather, bark, bone, horn etc.  The Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal Museum, Udaipur has an interesting collection of folk arts comprising dresses, dolls, masks, musical instruments and paintings.

Bharat Lok Kala Mandal, Udaipur

5.4. Craft Museum: India has good number of Craft museum.  The National Craft Museum, New Delhi contains a collection of traditional Indian crafts in textiles, metal, wood and ceramics.  The Gurusaday Museum in Kolkata preserves and exhibits the folk arts of rural Bengal including the objects collected from undivided Bengal.  There are some specialized craft museums too in India like Kite Museum, Utensil Museum and Textile Museum in . 6. History Museum This category of museums is set up with a view to preserve and exhibit the relics of the ancient world recovered from the surface or beneath the soil, pertaining to the historical and cultural heritage. 6.1. Archaeological Museum: the prehistoric and proto historic phases of art and culture are exemplified by statuary art, pottery, tools, coins, minor objects and other treasures of the past, which seem to have witnessed evolutionary changes and also landmarks of aesthetic trends in the context of cultural development. In India, the number of archaeological museums excels other types of museums. 6.2. Site Museum: the site museums are a special type of archaeological ‘museums in situ’ that houses loose dismantled antiquities, relics and other forms of collections found from the adjacent excavation or exploration sites. These museums are established to preserve the small and movable antiquities recovered from the site and to retain them in proper environment. For example  The Sarnath Museum, adjacent to the Sarnath Monastery excavated site that preserves and exhibits the objects found from the sites including the ‘Four Lion Capitol’—the National Emblem of India.

5

National Emblem at Sarnath Site Museum

6.3. Defense Museum: in defense museum, various things related to military activities of the Army, Navy and Air force are exhibited. In such museums, histories of the war years, accounts of war personnel and divisions, medals, peace accords, anti-conscription documents, used tanks, air craft’s, weapons etc. are preserves and exhibited. These museums are controlled separately by the Indian Army or the Indian Air Force or the Indian Navy. For examples,  Museum of Madras Regiment in Coonoor, Tamilnadu;  Air Force Museum in Palam and Shilong;  Naval Aviation Museum, Goa.

Madras Regiment Army Museums Air force Museum, Shilong 6.4 Transport Museum Transport museums cover railway museums and maritime museums. Rail Museums: this is a special type of history museum aiming at preserving the heritage of railway of a country. It usually preserves and exhibits vintage engines, historical records and documents, history of the development of railways, signaling system etc.  The National Rail Museum, New Delhi is the first of its kind in India. It has both indoor and outdoor collections.  The Mysore Railway Museum is located adjacent to the Mysore Rail Station. In both the museums visitors has the entertainment opportunity to ride toy trains. Maritime Museum: After the Second World War the concept of the maritime museum has emerged with a view to safeguard the maritime heritage of a country. This museum preserves and exhibits various types of seafaring boats and ships, objects from wreckage found at the bottom of the sea or on sand banks, semaphores, lighthouses, pictures, various equipment and accessories required for voyages etc. It also highlights the modern activities and different issues.  The National Maritime Museum, Mumbai has been set up by the Indian Navy at the natural harbor of Mumbai. The museum houses the historical treasures of India and models of ships built in Mumbai.

6

National Rail Museum, New Delhi National Maritime Museum, Mumbai

6.5. Police Museum The museum commemorates the history of origin, development and activities of the Police.  The Kolkata Police Museum revives the interface of the colonial Police and Indian nationalism during the freedom movement of India.  The National Police Museum, New Delhi, exhibits national and international significance related to Police, crime and criminals from the ancient to modern times.

Kolkata Police Museum 6.6. Personalia Museum In memoriam of important personalities, personalia museums are founded with the aim of understanding his/her meaningful life that was contributory to the progress of his/ her country or the world at large. These museums are generally established within the building where the great person had spent some times of his life.  The Netaji Museum in Kolkata exhibits photographs, original letters, manuscripts and documents concerning Netaji . The Museum is house in his home in Kolkata.

Netaji Bhawan, Kolkata Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi 7

6.7 Biographical Museum Biographical Museums are established on the collection of objects related to the great person in a new building but mostly at the place where they were born or breathed their last or worked for some time. Such museum always depicts the life, philosophy and activities of a great personality.

 There is a chain of museums referred to as the Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya established throughout the country, dedicated to the memory of the Father of Indian

Nation. 6.8 Memorial Museum Memorial museums are established to commemorate a great historic personality or event. Here, along with personal relics other objects are also displayed. The said museums is not necessary established in a building in which the person concerned had lived.  In the memory of Queen Victoria, the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata is established. 6.9 Period House Museum To display historical objects of certain time, period museums are established. This category includes palace museum, fort museum and place connected with important personalities or historic events. To make the period vivid to the visitors some museums use music, Son et Lumiere or theatrical performance. 6.10 Fort Museum When a fort is transformed into a museum to enliven the past it is called fort museum. The building itself is a place of visit. Inside the fort, some collections of objects of art and antiquity may also be preserved. In India, a number of fort museums exist like  Fort,  Fort,  ,  Chittor Fort in ,  Fort in ,  in New Delhi etc. 6.11 Palace Museum Like forts, there are number of palaces throughout India, which are now converted into museums and open to public for their visit. Such museums display luxurious and valuable objects of arts and artefacts of the royal family. Like,

∙ Sawai Man Singh II Museum, ,

∙ City Palace Museum, Jodhpur,

∙ Mysore Palace, Mysore,

∙ Coochbihar Palace Museum, West Bengal etc. 6.12 Jail Museum When a jail or dungeon bearing historical importance is converted into a museum to enliven the past, is called Jail Museum. The Cellular Jail in Port Blair established in 1906, is a testimonial to the martyrs of Indian freedom stands a mute spectator to the tortures and declared as National Memorial by the Government of India. The Cornel Wally’s Dungeon at Srirangapatna is also a visitors’ point of attraction.

8

7. Achieves and Library The term ‘archives’ derived from the Greek work ‘arkheia’ is a repository of various types of records. Official or government documents, collected papers, books, maps, sound recordings, microfilms, microfiche, motion pictures, reprographic copies etc. forms ‘archives’. Governments, institutions or individuals preserve records for their future use forming archives. The National Archives, New Delhi; State Archives, Central Record Office etc. are the examples of archives. Libraries also preserve books, manuscripts, journals etc. for the use of common people. Museums too have libraries to serve interested people. Mention may be made of the Raja Library at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the earliest and opulent manuscript libraries of Oriental learning. The Khuda Baksh Oriental Library in Patna is an institute of national importance for its huge collections including more the 4000 manuscripts. The National Library, Kolkata is also one of the important libraries in India. Hindi Sangrahalaya at Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Allahabad is an important library museum.

National Archive Museum, New Delhi Khuda Baksh Oriental Library, Patna

8. Mass-Media Museum The mass media serve an essential purpose in making people concern of policies and activities of Governments and discussing them in the context of nation building affairs. In India mass-media museum skillfully highlights the modern print media i.e. newspapers and audiovisual media i.e. radio or television and satellite communication. Newspaper Museum In India one of such museum is Madhav Rao Sapre Smriti Samachar Patra Sangrahalaya and Research Institute, Bhopal. It has collections of newspapers and periodicals since 1681 and some research papers. Broadcast Museum A Radio Museum is established by the “All India Radio”, at Broadcasting House in New Delhi. Here recorded voice of national leaders and music of eminent singers along with the developmental history of All India Radio are preserved and exhibited.

9 Radio Museum of the All India Radio, New Delhi

9. Telecom Museum The National Telecom Museum, Bhopal is a unique and first of its kind in India that exhibits the evolution of the telephone. It displays different types of instruments used since the existence of telecommunication like first telegraph system and out-of-date telephone exchange, stamps, first day covers, visiting books, clock, rare displays of SOS Telegram sent by Commanders of East India Company during 1857 revolution, first satellite earth station of the world etc. The Museum is an excellent combination of obsolete and modern communication mechanism that have helped humanity to bring the world closer.

National Telecom Museum, Bhopal Postal Museum, Mysore

10. Postal Museum India has few Postal Museum that exhibits the ancient tradition or runner system for delivering postal items, stamps, equipments etc. It exhibits our heritage of sending messages through writing in postcards, inland letters and airmails. The Postal Museum in Mysore is an excellent example of its kind. It is situated in the Postal Training Institute in Mysore in the Karanji Manson—one of the heritage palaces of Mysore. 11. Museum of Hobby Museums of hobby have been built with the materials with a view to create and foster hobbies among people. Philatelic Museum Philatelic Museum preserves and exhibits stamps for the people of philatelic interest. India has few such museums housed in the Post Offices. Like the National Philatelic Museum, New Delhi in Dak Bhawan and exhibits extensive stamp collection. The Postal Museum and Philatelic Library was established in Kolkata in 1979 in the General Post Office, Kolkata and has huge collection of stamps of early British period notaries service postage, count fee stamps, postal notes, pre and post independence stamps, envelop and postcards etc. Mountaineering Museum Nowadays, mountaineering and trekking are considered as a unique hobby. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute has established a museum on Everest and Mountaineering in Darjeeing, West Bengal. The museum exhibits colourful relief model of the Himalayas, mountaineering dresses and equipment, clubs all over the world. Flags and pennants planted on the peaks by Indian mountaineers, photographs etc.

10

Museum of the Himalayan Mountaineering NumismaticNational PhilatelicMuseum Museum, New Delhi Institute, Darjeeling, West Bengal The art of gathering and studying coins, other currency and medals is known as numismatics. A coin museum collects and exhibits coinage of a certain region or period. Many museums have numismatic galleries but museums solely on numismatics are also in India. Among them the Coin Museum in Nasik, Maharashtra; Currency Museum of the State Bank of India in Kolkata are important. 12. Science Museums 12.1 Natural History Museum The museum deals with our natural world. It consists of different aspects of science like taxonomy (classification and nomenclature of living or fossil organism), biology (botanical, zoological, paleontological specimens), marine biology and taxidermies. Here specimens are exhibited depicting their natural habitat through various dioramas and fabricated objects. India has many natural history museums like.. o Regional Natural History Museum, Bhubaneswar and Mysore, o Bengal Natural History Museum, Darjeeling etc.

Regional Natural History Museum, Bhubaneswar

12.2 Eco museum India is the land of cultural and natural diversity. Eco museums are the best medium to explain and advocate sensitive conservational practices relating to environmental issues. They are established in an ecological setting like forests, national parks, water lands, tribal areas etc. for realistic approaches. Like Rarh Sanskriti Sangrahalaya, Midnapur in West

11

Bengal. The museum preserves the locally available materials and focuses on tribal life and culture. 12.3 Marine Museum The Indian subcontinent is flanked on its eastern and western sides by long coastal line along the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea respectively. Apart from the mainland India has many islands and a number of marine museums are located in these areas.  In Port Blair there is Samudrika—an excellent marine museum that displays various aspects of local marine biology.  The Marine Biology Museum of the Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University exhibits marine organism. 12.4 Zoological Museum Zoological museums include the fauna of a region or country i.e. stuffed animals, fossil remains of animals, physical process of life of animals, skeleton etc. Generally, Zoology departments of universities have this kind of museums for educational purposes.  The Zoology Museums of the University of Calcutta, the Punjab University, and University of Gorakhpur are of this kind.  Zoological Survey of India also runs few museums in its different regions.

Marine Museum, Portblair Forest Museum, Portblair

12.5 Botanical Museum The flora of the country, i.e. plants specimens, herbarium sheets, fossils of tree, fruits, seed, crops, medicinal plants, economical important plants etc. are preserved and exhibited in botanical museums. Like Zoology Museums, many Botany departments of various Universities have Botany museums. Botanical Survey of India also runs many Botanical Museums in its different regions. Like,  Museum of Botany department of the Punjab University,  Museum of the Birbal Sahani Institute of Palaeo-botany Lucknow etc. 12.6 Forest Museum The museum are established to give applied education on arboriculture on various field of forestry, forest biology, wild life, timber and its uses, etc. The Forest Museum situated in Portblair offers an insight into forest activities through scaled models and decorative pieces made of locally available woods.  There are many Forest Museums across India like in Shivapuri, Madhya Pradesh; Guwahati, Assam etc.

12

12.7 Industrial and Technological Museum Under the direct influence of the Industrial Revolution in the eighteen century, industrial and technological museums were established throughout Europe. In India, it is flourished during 20th Century mostly under the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). The Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Kolkata is the first of its kind in India. The Museum exhibits models on various branches of physical science, original instruments of scientific importance, mock-up models, multimedia presentations, 3D shows etc.  The Vishveshwaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bengaluru is the 2nd of its kind portrays the application of science and technology in industry and human welfare.

Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Panaroma Show on Evolution of Man in the Science Kolkata City, Kolkata

12.8 Science Centre In science centers, effective non-formal education is imparted to support formal science education. They create science consciousness among common people. These centers are also under the NCSM.  The Science City, Kolkata; National Science Centre, New Delhi, Nehru Science, Mumbai are of this kind.  All these centers communicates science through participatory exhibits, working models, time machine shows, 3D-7D shows, audio-visuals, science talk shows etc.

12.9 Anthropological Museum/Ethnological Museum Man cannot be assessed without the accompaniment of community, as every man is a single one of its entirety. Anthropological museum collects materials to present the story of the evolution of man showing their cognitive, cultural and socio-economic changes, social behavior, livelihood etc. Anthropology museums are often called Ethnology museum, where science of human race and their relations to one another, pattern of community life are in centre. The Indira Gandhi Rastriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal has been conceptualized as an organic whole, dedicated to unfold the story of human highlighting human biological evolution and cultural patterns in India. The museum has constructed open-air tribal dwellings. In India after archaeological museums, anthropological museums are second in position in terms of its number.

13

Tribal Dwelling in the Indira Gandhi Rastriya Ethnography Museum, Udaipur Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal 13. Specialized Museums In India, where multifaceted cultural heritage is sustained by museums, there it may be expected that some specialized museums must be existed. Based on some special themes, these museums are categorized as specialized museum. 13.1Temple Museum India is full of temples and monasteries and religion exerts tremendous influence on the Indian life and culture. Immensely, precious ornaments, gems and other valuables are in the temple’s possessions. Some of the temples preserve vast collection of illustrated manuscripts for the use of the scholars. The Indian temple always been a great institution for the cultural, economic, social, educational in addition to the local folk and acted more or less a museum. It is for that reason, temple museums have grown up. Museums also attached to larger temples of . Some of these museums are Rajaraja Museum in Brihadeswar Temple, Sri Venkateswara Museum, Tirupati, Sri Minakshi Sundareswaram Temple Museum at Madurai etc.

Sri Venkateswara Museum on Temple Art, Tirupati Peace Museum, Mount Abu, Rajasthan 13.2 Peace Museum Man is generally peace-loving. In social and political life conflicts, strife and wars are in existence since time immemorial. Side by side, ideals of non-violence and peaceful life are preached and practiced. Peace museum includes a range of different museums. It includes issues of regional peace, the global importance of the “League of Nations”, “museums of non-violence” and the quest for peace “within people”. It can be said that any museum, which focuses on peace issues, has the mission to serve as a “museum of peace”. An

14

example of such museums is the Peace Museum, Mount Abu, Rajasthan established by the Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University and Museum. It teaches that all religions led to God and the belief of each should be considered. It points at institution of world harmony through ‘the importance of spiritual knowledge and training of easy raja yoga meditation’ 14 Summary In India endless types of museums are present and also coming day by day looking at the expected people’s demand. Going away from the mandate of museum, as non-profit making permanent institutions for the preservation of heritage many of present day museums are developing focusing on commercial interest with or without any real or antique objects. This new generation museums are drawing more attention of visitors serving them as per their need. One of such new trend of museums is Mother Wax Museum in Kolkata that exhibits wax models of national leaders, eminent personalities, actors, sportsmen etc. similar to Madam Tussauds Museum, London and Bangkok. Sports Museums are also drawing attention of sports lovers and many such museums are already established in India. Indian diversities reflect vividly through the multiplicity of its museums in its every corner.

15