Thakur Pruthvi Govind

MAHT- Thesis/Dissertation/Capstone Project (T/D/C)

The institution of the Museum was majorly introduced to India as a part of the British Colonial Cultural Infrastructure, ever since then, the museums have adopted various forms and approaches to cater to the public. Be it the ‘Ajab Ghar’ or the ‘Wonder house’ during the colonial times, to being National and giving out the message of the perpetually great united nation, to the post-colonial era which witnessed an attempt at re-defining the typology in context of India through examples like Crafts museum and Gandhi Ashram, to finally the contemporary times where on one hand the museums have adopted new ways and methods to be more relevant and approachable to public and on the other where the sudden rise of the ‘religious theme parks’ has led to the shape-shifting of the institution; the museums' journey in the country has been a long and arduous one. The institution has often been under scrutiny for its relevance to the society and its public, for whom it exists in the first place. For the longest time, it has been considered to be sitting rather uncomfortably in the Indian society, as it was to an extent a foreign insert, and for the very same reason, it has always tried to be more than that. What role are museums playing today? After approximately 200 years of its advent, have museums been able to find their foothold contextually and culturally? How has the museum architecture evolved with time and what message does it convey? What ideas of nationalism are projected through a museum? In what way are these institutions helping shape public imagination about ideas like the nation, history, community, culture, current issues? How is the institution of the museum shaping the image of contemporary India? Are the questions that have always been raised with regards to the institution, the study tries to answer a few of them. The study aims to elaborately understand and analyse how museums sit in the public sphere and how they might be influencing ideas about nation, history, culture, community, environment, etc. through architecture, exhibitions, design of the display, galleries, and special programs; as these are the modes or methods that help the museums to communicate with the public. To carry out this analysis, the study aims to look at different kinds of museums present in the country from Colonialism to Liberalism. Typologies like the historical museum/colonial museum, post-colonial museum, biographical museum, science museum, and its contemporary avatars; broadly define this spectrum. These case studies help look through various aspects of the museum-like - Museum as a building, as a symbol of nationalism, as an institution that engages and educates the public, as a colonial knowledge-producing project, and as an institution which has evolved over time and has acquired a completely new avatar. Taking that forward, ‘Museums and Nationalism’ and ‘Museums and Contemporary India’ become the two larger lenses through which the study looks at museums in India. The two larger lenses have been derived out of the literature survey and form a framework for the analysis. The choice of the site itself was a major part of the method as these sites make it possible to see different facets of the institution in India. The analysis points towards the changing trend in the relationship between the architecture and the display, the permanent exhibits and the special exhibits, use of technology in museums, etc. and how establishing these intricate relationships enable museums to interact with its audience coherently. Museums are a link between history and the public, and aspects like architecture, display, exhibitions and special programs help them to be that link. Through which, they can give out fresh perspectives and ideas about nation, culture, community, history, etc. Thus, not only making the experience of visiting a museum more engaging but also in being more relevant to society.