The Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage had plans to switch from static display of objects to providing an interactive and immersive experience for the visitors, in its new museum which will come up in Mysuru. The department has two acres of land near the Chamundi Vihar Stadium and the project is currently in the designing stage. Thereafter, it will be submitted to the government for its final approval.
A. Devaraju, Commissioner of the department said that at present, there are 16 government museums across Karnataka but it is inadequate to reflect and showcase the rich cultural heritage and antiquity of the State. Though we have displayed about 13,000 antiquities and artifacts across the 16 museums, they constitute hardly 30 per cent of the total collection, said Mr. Devaraju.
What is stored and out of bounds for the public include the royal robes of the Wadiyars, the arms and armouries belonging to the earlier period, a rich collection of coins, artistic ivory inlay works of the highest standards, bronze sculptures and statues, leather puppets, medallions awarded to the soldiers who displayed bravery and valour in different battles etc.
‘’We want to have a dedicated section for each of the categories in the new museum in Mysuru,’’ the Commissioner added.
The government had already earmarked ₹10 crore for the purpose and hence, the department has been moving ahead with the works. It will also incorporate the latest technology to enrich the visitor experience in a bid to kindle public interest about the exhibit.
The present practice of static display does not kindle interest among the visitors most of whom just walk past without a glance. A case in point is the museum at Wellington House which has a rich collection of artifacts but suffers from static display. Hence, it does not kindle interest and let alone the tourists, even the locals are not aware of it or visit it, Mr. Devaraju poined out.
MoU for creating 3D holograms
“But if interactive feature harnessing both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies are incorporated, it will be a different scenario altogether and will kindle interest in the subject,’’ said Mr. Devaraju. The department has already entered into a MoU with a private entity for creating 3D holograms of the antiquities, he added.
There are also plans to revamp the website of the department and going forward, a 360-degree virtual tour of the exhibitions and monuments of importance is also in the pipeline. The department had entrusted the 3D mapping of its 844 monuments to the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology under its Karnataka Digital Heritage project and this will be harnessed for developing the new museum and the website as well.
Mr. Devaraju said that Mysuru is known for museums and if state-of-the-art technology could be harnessed for display, it will be another source of attraction for tourists who visit the city in large numbers.
