In November, Mumbai will host one of the country's most ambitious exhibitions, titled India and the World: A History in Nine Stories . The exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is a collaboration between the host museum, the National Museum in Delhi, and the British Museum in London, with the support of the Ministry of Culture. It was announced during a discussion with the three directors of the establishments in Mumbai.
Showcasing 200 objects from a total of 20 museums across the country and the British Museum, the exhibition is scheduled to begin on November 10, 2017, and go on till February 18, 2018, in Mumbai. Following this, India and the World will travel to Delhi for three months.
“It is one of the most important events for the Ministrys programme of celebrating 70 years of India's Independence,” said BR Mani, director general of the National Museum.
ADVERTISEMENT
The project has been discussed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron, said Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general of CSMVS.
The exhibition will tell the viewers nine stories of important historical eras in Indian history and what was going on in the world at the same time.
“The aim of the exhibition is to showcase a universal culture and India's contribution in world history,” said Mukherjee. “It also promotes a new way of seeing the Indian culture in relation to other cultures and geographies.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The first section is about the first man and his cultural evolution, 1.5 million years ago.
The second is about the First Cities, dating 2,500 BCE. Among the highlights here are the toy cart of the Harappa civilisation from CSMVS, and weights and measures from Egypt and Mesopotamia from the British Museum.
Other sections focus on the empires of the country (500 to 2000 BCE), States and Faiths (400 to 709 CE), talking about how kinship endorsed and promoted different religions for peace and unity.
Indian Ocean Trade (200 to 1500 CE) showcases the period when exchange of ideas and cultures began and Time Unbound talks of the contemporary times of how our worlds are interconnected.
The project also plans a huge educational and outreach programme through films on the exhibition in various languages as well as a children’s book.