Time to step up the show

Museums, that once held a pride of place in the City, seem to be losing their sheen over other places of interest. For several years, these buildings aroused the curiosity of many a visitor but their charm is apparently fading with time. And it’s not just a lack of awareness or that one has better means of spending their day, but also that these places have failed to keep up with the times and step up their infrastructure and facilities. Most museums suffer from maintenance issues and have lost the ability to attract crowds like before. 

At the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM), one can find several groups of school children on weekdays. A class nine  student of Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Vaishnavi, whom ‘Metrolife’ met there recently, said, “It was a new experience for me to see and touch the dinosaur display. The pictures gave me clarity about its various parts.” Her teacher Shivram added, “The museum provides a good opportunity for students to see old machinery and how it has developed and evolved over time.

One can even see their internal mechanisms and way of working. But they should also display the newer and modern engines so we can compare the two. Moreover, there should be a guide accompanying people, especially children, else they just tend to take a cursory look at an exhibit and move on to the next one. Also, the shows that are run should have translations in the local dialect so that everyone is able to understand and enjoy them. However, facilities like washrooms and the cafeteria are of a decent standard here.” 

Prakash Choudhary from Mumbai, who was visiting the place for the first time, said, “Posters of new technologies have been showcased but there is scope for improvement. Exhibits of new machinery can be added. Besides, the size of the museum can be increased.” Compared to other museums in Bengaluru, the maintenance at VITM is relatively better and renovations are currently underway, with some displays being replaced as well. But other shortcomings like the dusty floors and lack of staff still need to be looked into.

Located adjacent to it, the 150-year-old Government Museum looks almost empty when one enters it. Once a place of historic interest, it hardly sees any visitors now. Siddeshwar, a Bengalurean, who now lives in Hyderabad, said, “This is my third or fourth visit to this museum and I wanted my wife to see it. It is more or less in the same condition, though it looks more deserted than last time. Probably outstation visitors aren’t aware of its existence and they are more interested in malls and movie theatres now. Signages are missing, the existing ones aren’t very detailed or clear. For instance, there is a particular Kannada inscription here that is really significant but there is no sign highlighting it. Also, a brochure and a guide would be really helpful.” The curator, however, maintained that they have many visitors on weekends.

The vibrancy seems to be missing in these places and the adjoining Venkatappa Art Gallery appears no different. The place wears a dull look and the staff look uninterested in answering queries or interacting with visitors (if any at all). Though the garden is undergoing renovation, other facilities like the canteen are much below the required standard.

Meanwhile, the Law Museum at Karnataka High Court, a small room that houses artefacts related to judicial history, sees some law students during March and April, informs the assistant curator. But that too can be largely developed further, provided enough interest is taken and efforts are made. The Philatelic Museum at GPO remains locked and is usually opened when school children visit GPO as part of their curriculum. “We do not want to have staff idle at the museum. However, it is open for display during the Postal Week in October,” informed an official.