Patna to boast of another world class museum

The city will have another world class museum. The USP of the new museum would be to project the glorious past of Bihar through displays

A brain child of CM Nitish Kumar, the new museum would be located on posh Bailey Road area of the state capital. Sources said experts are already on the job to chalk out the details about the new museum.

Six spacious government bungalows (nos. 2 to 7) spread over 10 acres of land would be demolished to build the museum. Currently, these bungalows are occupied by ministers.

The state building development department has started working on this ambitious project, sources said, addingthat the proposed museum will be equipped with the latest technology in lighting, lift, doors, interior decor and foolproof security system.

The museum, according to an official, would be on the par with any other museum in the world, particularly in terms of its rich antiquities and decor.

It would be one of the major attractions for visitors, mostly foreigners. "Though the time frame has not yet been fixed, it is likely to be completed within three years," said an official.

For branding Bihar, the USP of the museum would be on "Bihar Through Ages" to project the glorious past of the state through audio-visuals and displays.

"We are preparing a tentative project to be put up before the government for its final approval," said Patna Museum additional director Umesh Chandra Dwivedi.

The existing city museum, built in 1917, does not have adequate space to display all the antiquities. Out of the total 45,000 antiquities available at the museum, barely 2,500 artefacts are on display, Dwivedi said.

"It is essential to build another museum to display all the artefacts available with the museum. The paintings and other miscellaneous items will be on display in the old museum," Dwivedi said.

Important and rare collection of the old museum are likely to be shifted to the new one.

Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID) is engaged in redesigning the Patna Museum in an effort to give it a new look.

Relics of Lord Buddha, his ashes and other related materials discovered during the excavation of a 6th century stupa at Vaishali are currently on display on the first floor of the museum. The relics of Xuanzang are not on display as well.