Dr. Abhay Firodia Sheds Light On The New Abhay Prabhavana Museum And Knowledge Centre In Pune

But that’s exactly what industrialist and philanthropist Dr. Abhay Firodia wants young people to experience at the newly inaugurated Abhay Prabhavana Museum and Knowledge Centre in Pune.

Spread across 3.5 lakh sq ft and built with an investment of ₹450 crore (excluding land), this is not your usual museum. It is built to modernise India, about the youth reclaiming what they might be unconsciously losing in the pursuit of hyper-modernity.

“This museum is not about money. It is a gift.”

That’s the first thing Dr. Firodia says in a conversation that feels more like a gentle call to awaken than a formal interview. “The point is to create an experience that can quietly transform you. If you enter this museum with an open mind, you may leave with a different one.”

And perhaps that’s why phones are kept at the entrance. No photos. No filters. Just presence.

“Today’s youth are intelligent, curious, but overstimulated. This is not their fault. But somewhere, we must create environments that help them slow down. This museum is one such environment,” he says.

How to modernise

A subtle but striking theme across the 15+ sections of the museum is this: modernisation does not have to mean westernisation.

“Korea, Japan, these are countries that have modernised without losing their cultural essence,” he explains. “Their cities are high-tech, but their values are still deeply embedded in tradition, in language, family systems, food habits, rituals. They’ve shown the world that it’s possible to have bullet trains and still bow before elders. But in India, we are trying to imitate the West in ways that make us forget our own strengths.”

That, he warns, is a dangerous path. “We must modernise in a way that honours our roots. Jain philosophy, with its emphasis on logic, discipline, and non-violence, is extremely relevant even today, perhaps more so today.”

Indeed, Jainism is often misunderstood as a religion only for monks or extreme ascetics. But walk through the museum, and you’ll see it differently: here is a philosophy that is deeply rational, minimalistic, and scientifically aligned with sustainable, mindful living, values that Gen Z and millennials often seek in the West without realising they were born with them at home.

No virtual museum

Through over 150 multimedia exhibits, hand-carved marble replicas, interactive dioramas, and deeply immersive spaces, it gently reveals Jainism’s core pillars — Ahimsa (non-violence), Anekantavada (many-sidedness), Aparigraha (non-attachment) — not as religious dogmas but as universal, timeless values.

“We have used world-class technology in the design of the museum — motion sensors, immersive light and sound, layered storytelling. But we’re very clear on one thing — this experience must be felt in person. There is no plan to take it virtual or into the metaverse,” he says.

Dr. Firodia makes a compelling distinction between using technology and replacing reality with it. The museum is filled with tech, but it’s used to enhance presence, not offer escape.

“Learning Jainism through a phone screen, while scrolling, defeats the point. You must come here, walk the space, and be in it — undistracted. That’s the only way something truly seeps in.”

To explain how culture needs time and touch to grow, he shares a story about Nescafé’s launch in Japan. “The company realised Japanese children had no taste for coffee. So, instead of pushing the drink, they introduced coffee-flavoured toffees. Slowly, a generation developed the palate — and only then did they start selling coffee,” he recalls. “We can’t expect people to understand something unfamiliar overnight. But we can offer a first taste — gentle, familiar, and inviting. That’s what this museum aims to be.”

Lessons learnt

While the centre is open to all, Dr. Firodia makes a strong appeal to two specific groups: the youth, and mothers.

“I believe that if a mother understands these values, the child receives them without even realising. That is why I urge mothers to visit. Women are carriers of culture, not just through rituals, but through the way they live, speak, and guide.”

This isn’t just poetic idealism. There’s a strong intention here to subtly revive cultural memory not through forced tradition, but through lived values.

Investment

The centre is one of the largest philanthropic investments of its kind in India. But for Dr. Firodia, it’s not about the number.

“When I look at our youth — anxious, driven, searching — I feel they need not more gadgets or platforms, but more grounding. This museum is not an institution, it’s a space for soul nourishment. If even 1% of young Indians take a pause and reflect after coming here, it’s worth it.”

And make no mistake, this is not an escape from modern life. It is a way to reimagine modern life with deeper clarity. The kind of clarity that Jain thinkers like Mahavira spoke about, clarity that leads to calm, ethical action.

India’s soft power

The museum, designed by renowned artists and scholars, also hints at a larger vision — positioning Jainism as part of India's global soft power.

“The world is looking at India not just for tech talent, but for timeless wisdom. Jainism offers that — without conflict, without conversion, without coercion. It speaks to the rational seeker,” he explains.

He’s right. From Silicon Valley’s meditation rooms to Davos’s ethical capitalism panels, the core ideas of Jainism are becoming globally desirable. But how many young Indians see them that way? That’s the shift Dr. Firodia hopes to create.

Final thought

Before we wrap, he says something that lingers. “Culture is not preserved in temples or museums alone. It lives in the daily choices of young people, in how they think, eat, spend, love, and act. My job is to plant a seed. Their job is to make it bloom.”

For anyone curious about identity, ethics, and mindful living, or even just looking to reconnect with a part of themselves they didn’t know they had, Abhay Prabhavana offers not answers, but fertile questions.

The kind of questions that don’t need a Google search. Just silence. And space. And the willingness to step in, with your phone left behind.

Published on: Sunday, August 24, 2025, 07:30 AM IST