What is a Museum but a souvenir of history? Indian museums and art galleries are the repositories of our primordial culture. Informative and educational, these museums remind us of the rich culture and heritage. One of the oldest art galleries in India is the Government Museum and Art Gallery at Chandigarh, which was engendered at the time of partition. Not only is its collection reminiscent of India’s past but also teaches us the lifestyle of other geographical regions as well.

Government Museum and Art Gallery Chandigarh

After the 1947 partition, the artworks housed in the Central Museum, Lahore were up for grabs. While the two countries argued, they reached a unanimous decision by dividing their treasures. About 40% of the existing collection was given to India, which is now housed in the Chandigarh Government Museum and Art Gallery. An extensive collection of miniature paintings from Rajasthan and Pahari, as well as Gandharan sculptures, can be found at the Government Museum. The museum was inaugurated on May 6, 1968, by the former Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh, Dr. MS Randhawa.

The Government Museum and Art Gallery Chandigarh photos are evidence of a thriving art and culture-centric space. The Government Museum is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. It includes a museum library, with books on art, architecture, and history; an auditorium which functions as a lecture hall, and exhibition space, and is used for film screenings and cultural events; a conservation laboratory; and dedicated spaces for collections — textiles, sculptures, paintings, coins, and more.

The Architecture of Government Museum And Art Gallery Chandigarh

The Government Museum was designed and built by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier along with his associates Manmohan Nath Sharma, Pierre Jeanneret and Shiv Dutt Sharma. While the construction took place between 1962 and 1967, the design was finished in 1960–1962. The exposed concrete sculpturesque gargoyles, metal-panelled door, fixed furniture, display systems, and pivoting entrance are representative of Chandigarh’s predominant architectural style. Satish Gujral painted the mural in the museum’s reception area. It gives the otherwise bleak exposed concrete building some colour.

There are three levels to the building. The Deputy Curator’s office, museum store, textile section, exhibition hall, reserve collection stores, auditorium, and reception are all located on the first floor, which spans 33,000 square feet. At 23,000 square feet, Level 2 features Gandhara sculptures, Indian miniature paintings, sculptures made of stone and metal, coins, and contemporary Indian art. With 6,500 square feet, level 3 houses the reserve collection store for Gandhara sculptures, the chairman’s room, and the library.

Collection at Government Museum and Art Gallery Chandigarh

After the partition, the artefacts moved locations; from Amritsar to Shimla, before finally settling at Chandigarh. After the Government Museum’s inauguration, MS Randhawa acquired Pahari miniature paintings, Indian contemporary art, and modern art. Over the years, the collection saw numerous additions.

Gandhara Sculptures

At present, the Government Museum has 672 Gandhara sculptures, the second-largest collection in India. The museum houses not only Buddha sculptures but his representations (footprints and chakras) as well. The sculptures come in a range of sizes and artistic categories. There are several enormous images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as some that show Buddhist deities like Hariti and Panchika. One standing, dated, and inscription-filled image of Hariti from Skarah Dheri is a popular piece in the collection. Many unique panels illustrate Buddhist stories. A significant number of panels illustrate stories related to the life of Buddha, as well as the Dipankara Jataka.

Contemporary Indian Art

Another highlight of the Government Museum is its extensive collection of contemporary art, which includes sculptures, paintings, and graphics. Paintings by Nicholas Roerich, A. Ramachandran, Bhupen Khakhar, Jogen Chowdhury, Sakti Burman, Vivan Sundaram, and other artists are on display at the museum. These pieces take the shape of oil paintings, watercolour paintings, and coloured and black-and-white drawings. 

Moreover astounding are the graphic works created by Anupam Sud, Dhruv Mistri, Krishna Reddy, Sanat Kar, Tejinder Kanda, and numerous others. The Government Museum’s collection of sculptures from contemporary art is likewise highly extensive, encompassing various media. Some of the prominent sculptors whose works are conserved here are Avtar Singh Dhanjal, Balbir Singh Katt, J.L. Ahuja, and Chintamoni Kar.

Decorative Arts

Many folk sculptures, primarily from Madhya Pradesh’s Bastar region and Himachal Pradesh’s Kulu, also catch the interest of art enthusiasts. The museum features metal Kulu masks, Bengali Patua scrolls, papier mâché artwork, metal ceramics, bone and ivory artefacts, and mostly late-period ceramics and glass paintings. Within the museum’s collection are Buddhist and Hindu early and late medieval metal sculptures from Kangra, Nepal, Tibet, and south India.

Medieval Indian Sculptures

A massive seated image of the Jain goddess Padmavati from 12th century Sholapur in Maharashtra and a seated stone image of a Jina figure from Vijaynagar in South India are the most striking sculptures in this section. The majority of the other medieval Indian sculptures in the Museum’s collection are of the Brahmanical faith, and they come from Agroha and Pinjore in Haryana, as well as a few stray locations from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Sanghol (Punjab). Ancient figurines from Sugh (Haryana), Akhnoor (Jammu), as well as Ushkur (Kashmir), are on display in the museum.

Miniature Paintings

The Government Museum’s collection of miniature paintings includes excellent examples of Pahari, Rajasthani, Sikh, and Mughal miniature art. The collection of miniatures features representations of nearly all significant Pahari schools, including royal portraits. The majority of the paintings were created by unidentified artists, but there are a few in the collection where the painters’ identities can be determined by inscriptions or by comparing their work to similar artwork. A few inscriptions include the patron’s or painter’s name.

Textiles

The Thangkas from Tibet and Nepal, the Phulkari from Punjab, the Kantha from Bengal, and the Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh are featured in the Government Museum’s textile section. The ‘Bapuji Phad’ from Rajasthan, which chronicles the accomplishments of a local hero, is a very unique item. The largest standout piece is a massive Jammu rumal that features the ‘Sikandar Nama’ theme and is labelled with identification information in addition to an intricate inscription.

Other Artefacts

The Government Museum has also preserved 18th and 19th-century manuscripts written in Gurmukhi, Devanagari, and Persian. These manuscripts were excavated from Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Rajasthan, Kashmir, and Punjab. In addition, they also boast a large collection of coins and currency from myriad dynasties such as the Mauryan, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, Ghazni, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal, Sikh, British and Princely states. 

Image Courtesy – Chandigarh Tourism

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