Past Forward

The team of 30 guides — including young art historians,trained archaeologists,retired professionals; factory owners and homemakers — takes visitors on a 90-minute round with 30 halts. Our guide,Gupta,is an art historian and filmmaker. The programme is an opportunity for her to gain experience at the museum. The background in history seems to help. Before each artefact,details of the period are shared as well as that of the subject. We are told that in the early phase of Buddhism,Hinayana,Buddha was represented through symbols. A sculpture from Amravati,during the rule of the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD),has footprints depicting him in a scene from his birth. In another sculpture,an empty throne symbolises Buddha and in yet another it is the chakra and the lotus. The Gandhara School cast him in a soft black stone with Greek features.

Different parts of the Shivling — Bramha,Vishnu and Rudra — also generate interest,as does a sculpture with Shiva emerging out of a lingam. There are discussions of a provincial Mughal miniature depicting Dara Shikoh’s marriage. We whisk past the textile and arms galleries with vignettes from Indian history,as Gupta manages to complete the tour in the exact time duration. The visitors appear content; the free tour has been worth their while. With thousands of artefacts in the collection,talking about some more might have made the tour more inclusive,but then the attention span of the visitors might be limited.

The guided tours begin at 10.30 am and 2.30 pm from Tuesdays to Fridays. Weekends have four rounds: 10.30 am,11.30 am,2.30 pm and 3.30 pm. Contact: 23019272

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