Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
Pic Courtesy: Rohit
Keeping its date with tradition, the 8th Edition of the Valley of Words began in Dehradun on 16th November, 2024. Other than a line-up of keynotes, discussions, book launches, Candid Conversations, classical dance and nukkad natak and Lead@VoW initiative taking centre-stage over the next two days, what was a hit with all age groups were six exhibitions.
The sculpture exhibition by Kalakendra team lined along the entry to the Main Stage and Halls involved sculptors by Founder Dwijen Sen, Col VK Dougall, Pradip Sharma, Satpal Gandhi, Deepshikha, Duggal in mediums such as fibreglass, POP, wood, waste material, junk art and metal scrap. The 24 sculptors on display became a popular selfie point for visitors.
A presentation entitled, “Antiques and Antiquity,” put up by the Superintendent Archaeologist Manoj Saxena and Chaired by Col Anupam Suden was well appreciated by a mixed audience which included school and college students as well as senior citizens.
Lady Kishwar Desai put forward her thoughts in a session entitled, “Building a world class museum from scratch : challenges and victories” which brought to the forefront the idea behind community museums.
Surbhi Aggarwal, Curator of one of the exhibits stated, “Mussoorie Heritage Centre is displaying artifacts and images of Mussoorie during World War 1 and 2. There is Numismatic collection of WW1 and WW2,” further adding, “There are images of army personnel taken by different British photographers in Mussoorie during this period. There are artifacts like Rifle covers, Bugle, Rifle magazine pouch, Chocolate box etc on display.”
The audience, across ages groups enjoyed going through the collection as the museum space was not just about preserving what happened in the past, but also educating the next generation by rebuilding relationships, fostering understanding and building companionship amongst people.
In the limited space that was available, the curators came together under one roof to display unique artefacts. With a lot to choose from such as the Nature Interpretation Centre, Forest Department and Archaeology Survey of India which gave a glimpse of ferns, pollinators, lichens, herbs, moss and several others, increasing awareness about the rich natural heritage of the state. The archaeological survey of India depicted various excavation sites and tools.
There was Pratap museum Tiber from Uttarkashi run by a retired school teacher, Pratap Singh. Bist ji preserving the cultural legacy of the state. Sameer Shukla from Soham Himalayan Centre, Mussoorie stated, “We have displayed 10 paintings based on the vibrant culture and the festivals of Uttarakhand Himalayas. Our Creation and Brands, Viz Brahmakamal Pahadi Topi,Uttariya- Pahadi Gamchha, 8 Gota Laces for the costumes based on local themes: “Namami Gange & Badrinath Mementoes et al.”
The private museum founded by Padma Shree Dr Yashodhar Mathpal in 1983 was a treasure trove of old photographs and various archaeological items and rock arts found in the hill-state of Uttarakhand.
The Colonel Antiques curated by avid philatelist Col Anupam Suden showcased some rare Military items that were used in WWI and WWII such as roller ball pens, ball point pens, pencils, bronze or bone tools, quills gave something to everyone to talk about.
Two museum exhibits dedicated to Jim Corbett from Kaladungi which was the Jim Corbett’s home converted into a museum in 1967-68 and The Jim Corbett museum at Rudraprayag gave the audience a glimpse into the life story of Jim Corbett.
Speaking for all Anjali Bhartari Ravi, the person behind this unique initiative signs off, “As a museum professional I had been exploring the museums in Uttarakhand and decided to form a collective for their capacity building under the ageis of INTACH. The complimentary space provided by Vow as a member of INTACH gave me the opportunity to bring to forefront this collective of small museums as a window to the rich cultural heritage of the state.”
