01/12/2023
Chamunda (form of Durga)
Sena – 11th-12th Century – Eastern India
Chamunda, Pala sculpture from Eastern India 💖
Now at National Museum New Delhi 🇮🇳
The National Museum in Delhi is a treasure trove, and anyone who loves history need just take a look around to vouch for this sentiment. The Museum houses almost 2,00,000 artifacts of various kinds, that cover a time span of more than five thousand years in the context of Indian heritage, both archaeological and cultural.
The Museum had an interesting beginning. An exhibition of selected Indian artefacts organized by the Royal Academy took place in the Burlington House (London) in 1947-48. Thereafter, it was decided that the same collection would be exhibited in the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi, before returning the objects to their respective owners and museums. In 1949 the exhibition was organized, which was a huge success, thereby paving way for building a museum in Delhi, a blueprint for which was already prepared back in 1946 by the Maurice Gwyer Committee. The different state governments, museum authorities, and various private donors who had loaned the artefacts for this exhibition were requested to gift or loan the objects, which were met with positive responses from most. The National Museum was formally inaugurated on 15th August 1949 by Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, the then Governor-General of India, and the foundation stone for the building was laid in 1955.
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