JOIN USThe museum depicts three important wars fought by Indian soldiers
Jaipur city, which is a place of rich culture and heritage and museums and galleries, has got another “badge” of glory on its proud shoulders – a War Museum. The museum without walls has spectacular exhibits that glorify the history of selfless sacrifice of soldiers from the state and it will be a treat to the visitors.
Located at the picturesque Amar Jawan Jyoti, the museum was inaugurated last month. The museum, built by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) at a cost of Rs 12 crore, has 20 cubicle enclosures, giving details of the Army, soldiers and warriors, including the country’s historical symbol of valour and love for motherland, Maharana Pratap.
The state-of-the-art museum is a fine blend of old and new aspects of war and is developed by art curator and designer Masooma Rizvi. The cubicle enclosures, fashioned in traditional Rajasthani arches and pillars, encircle the Amar Jawan Jyoti monument in a C-shape at the entry gate of Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
One cubicle “Campaigns of Courage” brings to life the valour and strategies of the famous battle of “'Haldigathi” in which Maharana Pratap, fought relentlessly with Emperor Akbar. Another section, “Body Armour” goes back to 18th century and depicts “Brigandine”, the famous coat of thousand nails and small overlapping plates.
Early types of warrior’s helmets are also showcased here. Amidst the clank of swords and howling tanks how can the bugle call be left behind! A cubicle is designated to show the importance of music during the battle and war times.
“Martial music” section has on display musical instruments used by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Cubicle on “Weapons of Olden Days” showcases weapons such as swords, daggers and guns used in of the World wars.
One section has evolving war uniforms and is followed by the “Wars in Perspective”, a series of short films, including special feature titled 'NAAM NAMAK AUR NISHAN”, which show famous scenes of important wars. The walk through museum concludes with the 3D display of life and death of soldiers depicting “Last Post”, a military bugle call that is played at a state or military funeral. While alive a soldier is shown protecting the nation, after his death his grieving family is shown paying homage to his sacrifice. Two enclosures have shops—one selling souvenirs like caps, flags, etc, and another dealing in manure and fertilisers.
According to the JDA, the idea behind the war museum was to have a sacred place to pay an ode to the Army, Navy and paramilitary forces in the heart of the city.
JDA Commissioner Shikhar Agarwal told DH: “The museum throws light on the life of martyrs, and highlights how they fought wars and sacrificed their lives. Every cubicle enclosure gives different details of the Army and soldiers, the ammunition and artillery they used and information about different wars.” To make the place more attractive, the JDA has also started an evening “light and sound” show with fountains.
Taking help from the Indian Army, the museum depicts three important wars fought by Indian soldiers-- the much-talked about Kargil War and the wars of 1965 and 1971 against Pakistan. The Army looks at it as an effort to reach out to the people who do not have much information about these martyrs of the state and an attempt to glorify the stories of such soldiers, who fought battles and won them for the country without caring about their own lives.
Defence spokesperson Lt Colonel Manish Ojha said: “War memorials and museums are important cornerstones of our military history and they play a vital role in motivating the youth and old alike, to draw inspiration from the valour and gallantry of the soldiers, and help us understand the cost of freedom that we enjoy."
In Rajasthan, Jaisalmer war museum and Longewala war memorial were inaugurated in 2015. Both of them attract a large number of tourists and locals. “Jaisalmer war museum has been rated in Tripadvisor as one of the top 25 museums in Asia and one of the top five in India. It is about 15 km short of Jaisalmer on Jodhpur-Jaisalmer highway. It displays war trophies like tank guns and IAF's Hunter aircraft which played a vital role in India's victory in the battle of Longewala. It also shows the transformation of the Indian Army from its inception till today. One room has been dedicated to the battle of Longewala,” Col Ojha added.
Historians believe that the museum will make people aware of these lesser-known heroes. Vibha Upadhyay, a historian and professor at the Department of History and Indian Culture, the University of Rajasthan, believes that museums are as important as theory chapters on war in history books but the only thing which should be kept in mind is to make them little interesting. “A proper presentation and curation are needed to make any museum interesting. Citations should be cross-checked because they become a sort of a reference library to many researchers. It’s very important that India also adopts a culture to preserve war history like the western countries. In the later stages there should be a digital library or archival museum which will put all these interesting stories together."
Artists feel that the museum has added another feather to the cap of the Pink City known for world- class art and crafts. Yunus Khimani, a noted artist, curator and Director Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, shares the view that fixed museums are obsolete and nowadays museum without walls should be encouraged.
“As an individual I am against war. But being a teacher of history and design, I personally think museums should be rich and at the same time connect local community and become part of their culture. The interactive design of science museums could be adopted. Most of the innovation has come through military because there is always innovation needed to have a fighting edge. Such war museums could interest both art students as well as history scholars,” he added.