The days when museums in India had to struggle with minimal budgets, neglectful administrators and indifferent citizens are over. Thankfully. Today funds are plenty, administrators are proactive and citizens are aware of the heritage sitting in the galleries of their museums, appreciate it and don’t mind spending time and money amid the much valued, mind-boggling artefacts that transport one, open-mouthed, to bygone ages. “The trend is changing.

“The government has realised the importance of museums. We have no constraint of funds as earlier,” said Dr Nagender Reddy, Director in-charge of the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, one of the five national museums in the country. There has been a 100 per cent increase in the museum’s budget, increasing from about Rs 3 crore eight years ago to Rs 6 crore now.

The Salar Jung Museum which was opened to the public in 1951 is the world’s largest one-man collection of artefacts. Collected over 35 years by Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III, one of the important nobles of the Nizam, the collection was handed over to the government after the merger of the princely Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.

This has enabled the re-modelling of the galleries, introduction of new display methods and more security.
Already 14 galleries out of the 39 of the Salar Jung Museum have been re-organised at a cost of about Rs 20 lakh each. This unique single-man collection has about 44,000 artefacts from 34 countries dating back to the 17th century.

Dr Reddy admits that security of the priceless artefacts is a big issue as much as their protection from fire accidents. A fire broke out in the museum six months ago but it was in the auditorium and did not damage the artifacts.

He said an automated fire safety system was being installed at considerable expense. While funds have not been a constraint, there are several things he would like to see in place in the Salar Jung Museum which if implemented would cost a lot.

Creating a virtual gallery, installing a touch-screen system for every displayed item, and more importantly, installing artefact-friendly LED lighting are among the facilities that would go a long way in bringing Salar Jung Museum on par with the  museums across the world.