Nothing To Display

Not many know Ghole Road for housing the Industrial Museum. Nestled in a green cover,the Mahatma Phule Museum,which was founded in 1875 as the Poona Industrial Museum,faces tough competition by the more attractive hangouts around it – expensive eateries,an art gallery and the bustling Ferguson College road. The exhibits at the Phule Museum find an audience only through compulsory trips by school and college students. “Walk-ins are few. School and college students do come and visit,sometimes numbering up to 500 of them in a trip,” says Rajeev Vilekar,director of Mahatma Phule Museum. The city has many such small treasures that are pockets of great information,but sadly,don’t find many takers. Shares Mandar Lavate,historian who conducts history walks around the city,”Apart from the names that one keeps hearing,there are other galleries and museums too which are quite good. At the Deccan College,there are some exhibits worth seeing; then at the Ganesh temple at Saras Baug,one can find several Ganesh idols,which gives an idea about the way traditional art is used and the way it has evolved.” The Vaidyakik Vigyan Mandal near Tilak Maratha Vidyapeeth,Mukund Nagar,is one such example. “It tries to capture the history of science and its quite an interesting place,” adds Lavate. The Industrial Museum houses exhibits relating to paper,ceramics,glass,insulation and other fabrics. An irrigation model and other specimens of building materials are also on display. There is an entire section on geology,minerals,handicrafts and cottage industry,apart from a segment on agriculture,forestry and armoury. “Visitors have much to absorb from the museum,” says Vilekar.

A similar thought is mirrored by Ramesh Raghatnan,cultural officer at the Tribal Cultural Museum situated on Queen’s Road,Camp. The museum is currently in the initial stages of a renovation. “Our primary visitors are school students. They are interested in knowing and the school authorities also get them here often,” says Raghatnan,as he heads to the section of the museum where musical instruments of various tribes are on display. “Undoubtedly,there is a lot to learn here about tribal art and craft. We are planning to put sound systems here which will play the sound that these instruments produce. We are also planning a separate gallery where three-four artistes can sit every week and show live on how they make their instruments. We will add a sale counter too then.” Raghatnan is sure that the sale counter will ensure more footfall. “People like to come and buy stuff. In fact,there is more demand to buy these articrafts than to actually understand the story behind it.”

As one walks around the room,one can spot a Dhak,a rhythm instrument played by Warli shamans; a Mandari,which is made of clay; and a Hirobai Kingari,a string instrument played by the tribes of Thotis and Pardhan,among others on display.

Among the more popular hangouts are the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum at Shukrawar Peth and the Aga Khan Palace in Kalyani Nagar. “I walk into a museum in Pune and there is not much I understand,” confesses Megha Sood,a student of Pune University,”I think there is not much in terms of the way these exhibits are explained. In places like Delhi and Mumbai and even Jaipur,there are sound guides which make the entire experience a memorable one. In this audio-visual age,with so many distractions mere handouts and brochures won’t attract many.”

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