Bhopal News: ‘Decline In Visitors Is New Challenge Facing Museums’

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Director General of the Bihar Museum, Patna, Anjani Kumar Singh has said that increasing influence of technology is leading to a decline in the number of visitors to museums. This has emerged as a new challenge, he added.

Singh who is former chief secretary of Bihar, was speaking on ‘Re-imagining Museums: The Vision Behind the Bihar Museum’ under a folk art exhibition ‘Sita: the daughter of Bihar’ at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) in the city on Tuesday.

He also explained the historical background of the division of collections between the Patna Museum and the Bihar Museum, saying that the Patna Museum was a museum of the colonial era, while the Bihar Museum was developed as a new cultural symbol with a modern perspective.

He explained that the establishment of the Bihar Museum was a significant initiative inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Bihar. He mentioned the glorious history of Nalanda and Vikramshila universities, stating that the academic traditions of these ancient institutions strengthened the conceptual foundation of the museum.

Sharing the challenges, hard work, and innovative processes involved in the construction of the museum, he explained that the Bihar Museum has emerged as a simple yet modern and interactive museum.

The audience present in the auditorium and those connected online including the Director of IGRMS Prof. Amitabh Pandey sought information on the functioning of the Bihar Museum. In response, Singh shared his views on the authenticity of the objects displayed in the museum, their proper valuation, and visitor satisfaction.

Tagore National Fellow, Prof S N Chaudhary, who presided over the programme, described the lecture as informative and thought-provoking. Public Relations Officer of IGRMS, Hemant Bahadur Singh Parihar welcomed Chaudhary.

 Singh visited and appreciated the indoor and open-air exhibitions of the IGRMS. Deputy Director of Bihar Museum, Patna Nandgopal Kumar was also present.

Office Head and Program Coordinator of IGRMS, Surya Kumar Pandey introduced the keynote speaker, highlighting his work and contributions to the Indian museum landscape.

Assistant Curator of IGRMS, P Shankar Rao proposed vote of thanks and the programme was conducted by PGDM student Sweksha Thakur.