As you lower your expectations, there are always some surprises. This is what happened when I undertook my weekly museum outing, this time to Parliament Museum on Pandit Pant Marg. It is one of the most interactive museums I have seen so far. You listen to the landmark speech of Jawaharlal Nehru — “Tryst with Destiny” — in Central Hall seated next to the life-size figures of politicians. At another spot the viewer gets to clap and sing “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” with Mahatma Gandhi, who it feels is walking amongst you.
Housed in a special hall in the Parliament House library building, it was kicked off in 2004. The then speaker Somnath Chatterjee took a keen interest in the project. In 2006, it was revamped and made interactive by bringing in multimedia, video animations, multi- screen panoramic projections, etc.
For security reasons the viewers aren’t left unattended and that actually works like a blessing in disguise because you get a guided tour. A staff member escorts you to the museum after you have purchased the entry ticket and gone through the security check. From there on, the museum guide takes over, going through storytelling displays, reconstructing historical events like the Dandi March, the framing of the Indian Constitution, general elections, etc. An important thing: Don’t forget to take along your ID proof because you won’t be allowed entry without it. This, together with the waiting time for the escort to the museum can be slightly irritating, but given the high risk structure it is, one has to bear with these glitches.
There is no way a viewer, regardless of age, would find himself or herself not engaged with the space. The pieces come together successfully as symbols of a democratic heritage.
There are snatches of Mahatma Gandhi’s speech, recreation of the Swadeshi movement, Jallianwala Bagh, paintings of significant leaders, an evocative audiovisual on 1857, collections of the first speaker G.V. Mavlankar, the uniform of the marshal of the central legislative assembly, a documentary Transfer of Power , the original chair of the first Prime Minister of India, a replica of the Constitution, ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. Now, if only the energy of the space could transfer to the museum guide!
(The museum is closed on Sunday and Monday and all gazetted holidays. Entry ticket Rs.10; no entry without a valid photo ID)
