Nearly 100 heritage enthusiasts including students were taken on a tour of important museums in the city as part of International Museums Day, on Wednesday.
The students were drawn from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore besides members of the public.
The guided tour was organised by the Department of Archaeology, Heritage and Museums and the Tourism Department and the tour ‘’Museum on Wheels’’ covered the Regional Museum of Natural History, Mysuru Rail Museum and the Folklore Museum on Manasagangotri campus of the University of Mysore.
The railway authorities said the event was celebrated under the theme “The Power of Museums” and in collaboration with the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, it organised a tour of the museum showcasing the railway artefacts and collections.
Rahul Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Mysuru, said a museum was an important means of cultural exchange, and enrichment of cultures, and promotes development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.
He called upon curators of the museums to focus on these aspects and imbibe a sense of responsibility in the preservation of artefacts of immense heritage value and carry forward the legacy of great contributors to the development of the railway system in this region.
The rail museum’s website www.mysururailmuseum.com also offers a 360 degree virtual tour showcasing the exhibits and had higher than average clicks, according to officials. The Mysuru Rail Museum was inaugurated in 1979 and was the first regional railway museum in the country after the National Rail Museum at Delhi. The rail museum which was revamped and restored two years ago at a cost of ₹9.08 crore, is spread over 3 acres and has a rich collection of artefacts including the vintage steam locos, narrow gauge and meter gauge coaches, the maharani’s saloon, a turntable, and innumerable mechanical contraptions and furniture of the bygone era.
Incidentally, the railways have three museums in the State and apart from the one in Mysuru, there is a rail museum in Hubbali and the Malgudi Museum at Arasalu station where the shooting of some of the sequences of Malgudi Days serial based on R.K.Narayan’s novel, was held.
The International Museum Day was formally celebrated after a gap of two years as COVID-19 had led to suspension of all activities.
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