Of Muses, Museums and Museology (Research Series 2010- 2011)

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About the Authors Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose is a Government of India Secretary level IAS officer of a 1977 batch Kerala cadre. Before being posted as Director General/Vice Chancellor in the Ministry of Culture, he has worked as District Collector, Kollam. Secretary to Chief Minister of Kerala. Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary in various Ministries such as Education, Forest and Environment, Labour, General Administration and Revenue Board. A prolific writer and columnist, Dr. Bose has published 17 books in English and Malayalam including novels, short stories, poems and essays. Some of his books have become best sellers. He has been the founder of many Innovative movements and institutions in the field of good governance, science and technology, housing and other fields. He was the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Education Society and Administrative head of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). He has been a recipient of 17 International and National awards for his outstanding contributions in different sectors. Dr. Bose is the recipient of prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship. In recognition of his pioneering efforts in the field of housing, the United Nation has conferred on him the Global Best Practice award three times. Government of India awarded him the National Habitat award. He has represented India in International bodies such as European Council for Nuclear Energy, Geneva and the International Fusion Energy Organization, France. A well known speaker and debater, he was the best speaker of Kerala University for three years. He has won more than 100 prizes, including 15 Gold medals, in speech and debate competitions at the university level. As a student he was actively associated with the YMCA.

Dr. Manvi Seth is Assistant Professor and Head in the Department of Museology. National Museum Institute. She has been teaching in the Department of Museology for past ten years. Prior to this, she worked as Curator, Decorative Arts. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, City Palace, Jaipur.

At the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, City Palace, Jaipur she redesigned the interpretation panels of the Textile Gallery. She also published a popular weekly series, which ran for three months on 'Dying Arts and Crafts of the Erstwhile State of Jaipur in a leading National Daily, Hindustan Times.

At the National Museum Institute she has conceptualized and coordinated research projects in the areas of Visitor Studies, Museum Education and Documentation. She has been organizing educational workshops for the underprivileged and marginalized children as templates for museums. Amongst the various exhibitions she has curated the prominent ones are an exhibition on the Photographic collection of J. Ph. Vogel from the Kern Institute, Leiden; a Tactile Exhibition titled 'Ehasas: Senses and Images' for the visually impaired section of Museum Target Audience; and 'Astitva-a search for our identity', an exhibition on heritage awareness.

She has coordinated various in-service training programmes for museum personnel from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Ladakh. She has coordinated an International Conference on Museum Education, Issues in Indian Museum Education: National Perspectives, International Trends, jointly organized by National Museum Institute and United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI).

She has presented papers at many national and international seminars and conferences organized by associations like Commonwealth Association of Museums, International Committee for Training of Museum Personnel, INTACH, Rajasthan University, International Conference on Oriental Carpets, Rajasthan Studies Conference, SCs and STs Research Training Institute. She is visiting faculty and examiner at various universities like Aligarh Muslim University, Institute of Archaeology. Banaras Hindu University etc.

Acknowledgement One of the many firsts being initiated in the academic rejuvenation of the National Museum Institute, a research series titled "Of Muses, Museums and Museology" for the students of National Museum Institute, is being launched. In this academic endeavour each department of National Museum Institute will be publishing the proceeding of the research work of the affiliated scholars and students. The present issue brings forward an account of the research work being done in the field of Museology in different areas of culture: Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Musical Heritage, and other aspects, like temporary exhibition and documentation of smaller Indian museums. This research series is aimed at giving opportunity and exposure to the students and Ph. D scholars in publishing their research output. It aims at inculeating amongst students a tradition of sharing of information and ideas at a broader level of their research. Some papers are interdisciplinary and offer rich insights into the relation of museums with other subjects. Most of the papers are accompanied by case-studies and demonstrate efforts to test the application of theories in the context of Indian museums. The initiation of this research series is a product of ideas, efforts and inspiration of the staff and students at National Museum Institute. We would like to express our sincere thanks to those who have helped in this academic effort. Prof. (Dr.) Anupa Pande, Dean, National Museum Institute and Head of the Department (History of Art) has been extremely supportive of the idea since its nascent stage and has provided all necessary support. Prof. (Dr.) M.V. Nair, Head, Department of Conservation, promoted the idea of this publication series for students with great enthusiasm. This series has been possible only through the steady backing and advice of Shri K. K. Kulshreshtha, Registrar and Dr. P. K. Sharma, Assistant Registrar, National Museum Institute. We would like to thank Shri Ravindra Goel, Finance Officer, National Museum Institute for his support. We convey our gratitude to all the senior members of the staff for their encouragement, suggestions and cooperation.

Foreword The story of civilization has changed its content during the evolution of humanity through the vicissitudes of time. Empires have come and gone, nations have appeared and disappeared, new tenets and new ideologies have entered the centre stage of man's vision and action, creating ripples in the 'great world river' of culture. Only a fraction of the great epochs have come to stay as legacies from the past to the present. Looking back and listening to the 'ancestral voices' is an enlightening experience to which the basic nostalgia of the human mind turns to with excitement and expectation. Museums represent the living and tangible manifestation of this creative zest of mankind. The role and relevance of museums in the emerging new world order has undergone a metamorphosis, from an abode of the dead artifacts to a home for the living, vibrant and dynamic culture of the community. Museums serve as a link which connects the present with the past and this culture connect has more to it than meets the eye. Museums are to be experienced, not explained. International Council of Museums defines museum as a 'prominent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purpose of education, study and enjoyment. Museums Association defines museums as 'institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens which they hold in trust for society. Though the oldest public museums had their origin in Renaissance Rome, the concept of the modern-day museum originated in the 18th century in Europe, perhaps with the Capitoline Museum founded by Pope Sixtus IV. The first public museum in the true sense of the term was the one set up in Louvre in Paris in 1793 in the backdrop of the French Revolution. This is not to ignore the British Museum which came up in 1753.

Preface The publication "Muses, Museum and Museology" is a welcome initiative from the National Museum Institute, India's premier institution dedicated to the promotion of research and studies in Museology, History of Art and Conservation. The lead article sets the tone of the book. It speaks of the transformation of the conventional thinking on museology to a more liberal approach embraced by the new museologists. Obviously time does not stand still and the concepts of the past should change with the changing times. It is the inevitable law of nature that "the old order changed, yielding place to the new". Museums should be prepared to shake off the old orthodoxy and adapt themselves to the aspirations of the new generation which seek to reinterpret and re-invent the past in tune with their vision. A dynamic view of museology advocated in the article, runs in consonance with the changing thoughts of the changing time. All the articles in this series have conveyed vital messages to the readers of all categories irrespective of any academic interest. Paradigm can be cited from each essays of the book.

The article 'Museum as Community Space' emphasizes the fact that museums should concern themselves not only with the infallibility of the data about the objects of art but how the data relate to the audience. The art and archaeological museum, where lifeless objects are on display in conventional manner creates monotony for the visitors. To overcome boredom, the museums are required to be visitors friendly, meaningful and informative. Such image has been wished-for in the article, 'Museum galleries-The Need for Refurbishment', 'Repositories of Reflections: Museums and Photographic Collection in the Post Modern World emphasizes the need for proper care and management of photographic collections stressing on formulating documentation plans for specific collections. While, adherence to international standard practices for documentation is not negated, the need for creation of indigenous documentation plans to suit the Indian Collections in terms of their context and resources has been portrayed. Women in our country have always played an active role pertaining to social, political and economic development of the family, society, sate and nation. An essay in this book titles as 'Reflection on the role of Bodo Women in the Field of Economic Development' has exemplified on how women of an indigenous community of Assam region contribute in enrichment of regional culture and socio-economic development of the State.