Indian treasures at home and abroad

Source: Business Standard

 Syllabus: GS 1 – Art and Culture

 Relevance: To understand India historical artefacts.

 Synopsis: Historically significant sites, artefacts and papers in India and the UK should be made accessible to wider audiences.

Many Indian art & other valuables were acquired by East India Company & officials between 1858-1947. These are exhibited in:

 Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. The art objects date from 2nd century BC to the 15th century. For example

• A Shiva Nataraja sculpture: It is made of a copper alloy and listed as a 12th century piece from Tamil Nadu. This piece was “donated” in 1935 by Lord Ampthill who was the Governor of Madras from 1900-1906
• Another representative piece was part of treasures excavated at Coimbatore, dates back to the 15th century. This item was “bequeathed” to the V&A in 1927 by Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1898-1905.

The Royal Geographical Society in London: It  has priceless drawings of India’s east and west coasts. These were done by surveyors on board British ships going up and down the east and west coasts of the Indian peninsula in the 17th and 18th centuries.

British Library in London: It holds archives and records of the East India Company (1600-1858), the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India (1784-1858) and the India Office (1858-1947). It has the written record on the deliberations among the East India Company Military Board members about roads, buildings and irrigation works and later within the Central Public Works Department. These include engineering and funding details for bridges on the Grand Trunk Road to Peshawar and digging of the Upper Ganges Canal close to Roorkee in 1842.

Destruction by invaders

• The arts were often targeted by invaders with misplaced zeal against idolatry.
• In Sarnath, noses and faces on the sculptures have been chipped away.
• In Elephanta caves where Statues fating back to 7^th centuries have been disfigured.
• This is evident at large scale in ruins of palaces of Vijaynagar Empire at Hampi.

 Challenges in experiencing historical artefacts which are in British museum:

• Given the distance and cost of travel, it is out of reach for many.
• The chances of the museums returning the artifacts to India are very less.
• Inter-museum loans are difficult, given the risks of theft during transportation.

Also the history curriculum in Indian schools covers only British colonial & Mughal periods. So, “The wonder that was India” cannot be experienced by many Indians

 Way Forward:

Government can push for a 10 part, 1 hour each documentary series, with 3-D holographic images for artefacts for a real-life experience of History.