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New Delhi: The National Museum
is starting a free conducted tour of over 90 minutes with 30 halts
from April 23 to give visitors an informed glimpse into India's
rich heritage, spanning pre-history to modern works, in its
labyrinthine galleries.
The pioneering voluntary guide programme will take visitors across
the museum during the scheduled timings to not just highlight
antiquities, but also kindle interest in knowing one's heritage
and understand one of the most ancient civilisations of the world.
"We have been doing a training module. It includes dry runs with a
pool of 30 volunteers since late January. They have been gaining
grip over subjects, improving communications skills over the past
three months," said Venu Vasudevan, director-general of museum.
"It's not the public's fault if are generally apathetic to
visiting museums. They should have a sense of ownership. This
effort is designed to inculcate a feeling of ownership," Venu
added.
"The visitor can choose one's timing by the guide's language. Many
of our volunteers are bilingual. More volunteers would be brought
in on days of bulk bookings. We are to later draft a smaller
package with simpler script for schoolchildren," he said.
"Catch them young is our motto as well."
The museum Website nationalmuseumindia.gov.in will publish the
details of the programme.
The "Path Pradarshak" programme will offer services in both
English and Hindi. It would be inaugurated April 22 by Culture
Minister Chandresh Kumari Katoch. From the next day, the tours
will start at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. from Tuesdays to Fridays.
On Saturdays and Sundays, there will be four rounds: 10.30 a.m.,
11.30 a.m., 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., said V.K. Mathur,
curator-education, who also heads a team tasked with running the
programme without a break.
Indira Vats, the museum's assistant curator-education, said some
of the 30 masterpieces being highlighted during the tour include
the Dancing Girl (Mohenjodaro, 2700-2000 BC), standing Buddha (Gandhara,
2nd century AD) and Vishnu (Gupta period, 5th Century BC.
According to Jaya Chatterji, communications consultant of the
programme, the volunteers were chosen from 450-odd
applications.""The panel has a wide range of people - young art
historians, archaeologists, retired professionals; even factory
owners and homemakers."
Established in 1949, the museum functions under the culture
ministry and has 200,000 works of art of Indian and
foreign-origin, covering over 5,000 years. It also offers master's
and doctoral courses in history, conservation and restoration of
art.
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