'Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum’: India’s 5,000-year journey under one roof as Delhi’s North Block set to begin new chapter

NEW DELHI: The first gallery of the 'Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum' - billed to be the largest museum in the world - is slated to open at the end of this year in the North Block, and when completed - with all its galleries in place over three years, both at the North and South Blocks - it will have a diverse collection of anywhere between 80,000 to 1 lakh items from across India.

The museum at the soon-to-be erstwhile nerve centre of governance will be spread over approximately 1.55 lakh square metres (sqm) - a space that was occupied by important ministries such as finance, home affairs, personnel and external affairs, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Over the three years, around 30 thematic galleries will be opened in the blocks, and the display area is expected to be over 80,000 sqm.

"To ensure that every aspect of India's cultural heritage is showcased, we will bring in diverse collections located in national, state and ASI-run museums and galleries, drawing from a list based on an extensive mapping exercise of nearly 20 lakh objects. Between 80,000 to 1 lakh objects of diverse materials are expected to be displayed at the museum," culture secretary Vivek Aggarwal told TOI.

"Our team is also working on curating the first gallery that will open later this year. It will give a glimpse into the larger vision that defines the idea of 'Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum' that seeks to tell the story of Indian civilisation, its cultural heritage and evolution," he said.

The museum seeks to bring alive the India's cultural diversity over 5,000 years - from the Indus Valley Civilisation to modern India. The museum will be developed through "adaptive reuse" by repurposing the British-era North and South Blocks.

"We expect around 10 million visitors each year once the museum is fully functional. Given the large numbers, we want to ensure the experience is seamless and accessible, especially for persons with disabilities, while ensuring that the heritage character of the area and buildings is not disturbed at all," the secretary said.

To make the museum experience seamless without disturbing the movement and security protocols of India's power corridor Kartavya Path, it has been learnt that the ministry is working on a proposal to link North and South blocks with a tunnel.

This underground area is proposed to be developed into a cultural hub for visitors as they move from one side to the other. However, officials said these are still plans in the works and reflect the broad vision that needs to be firmed up with design elements for approval. The home and finance ministries have been relocated from the North Block to the newly built Kartavya Bhawan-3 on Kartavya Path. Only a few offices attached to CBI are still there and are expected to shift out soon. The govt has started the process of allotting new office spaces at the Kartavya Bhawan complex to the ministries that operate from the South Block.

The housing and urban affairs ministry is working to free up the North Block of partitions, alterations and additions made over the decades, and restore it to its original office design.