A Visit To a Museum

A museum is a treasure-chest of antiquities. In it, are kept all such articles and diggings as reflect a country’s culture and civilisation, her historical panorama, modes and manners, its religions and relics and finally, her art and architecture. A museum is the miniature reflection of a country’s ancient periods and gives a vivid picture of the customs, conventions and traditions of the nation.

In New Delhi, I had a golden opportunity to visit the historic and famous National Museum. The building of the museum is majestic and sturdy and has many departments that cover various subjects and periods of history. As I entered the ground floor, I saw a number of articles, images, sculptures and rock-engraved scriptures and many other things of great interest and value. The entire museum has been divided into many compartments like anthrological division, archaeological division and display selection etc.

Then, I moved to the first floor where, among other things, charts, paintings and murals were kept. Manuscripts in various languages were on display. There were ancient dresses, robes and weapons. In one corners there is the numismatics section. In this section, coins of different periods have been kept. In other halls, one finds historic Ajanta and Ellora paintings with the lovers in a mood of dalliance. Just by the side of these, there is a vivid depiction of the lives of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and Lord Budha through charts, scriptures. By having a look into this section, one really discovers India.

On the second floor, one finds the remains of Indus Valley Civilisation. The excavations from Harappa and Mohenjodaro, broken pitchers, beads, toys, stones and skulls throw light on the civilisation of those times and one comes to the conclusion how advanced that civilisation was!

The third floor houses the military equipment. There are weapons like swords and sheaths, spears and pruning hooks; shields and helmets; various dresses of the Generals and Commanders of ancient times. After seeing this part of the museum, I was thrilled because all this ancient military equipment of our past heroes and heroines inspired me.

Broadly speaking, the entire museum was a treasure-house of India’s great men and morals, historical facts, laurels and legends that are connected with the whole gamut of India’s life and literature — whether they are poets or prose writers, dancers or dramatists, songsters or sculptors, scientists or galaxy-gazers, lawgivers or lexicographers and musicians or doctors.

For me, the visit to the museum was a thrilling experience and what I saw and observed in the museum is a part of the richest experiences of my life. I was deeply moved to see this vast storehouse of India’s ancient glory. This visit has left an ideliable impression on my mind.