Indian Museum to display unseen objects in extra space

The Indian Museum has been allotted 22,000 square feet of additional area in two heritage buildings for displaying a huge number of artefacts which cannot be put on the show due to space crunch earlier, a senior official said on Thursday.

Many unseen objects could be seen in the buildings - renovated heritage structures outside the premises of the current museum - from January next year, Indian Museum Director Rajesh Purohit said.

As per the objective of the Union ministry of culture for enabling the display of artefacts which are in store but cannot be exhibited to visitors, the museum authorities have been allowed to develop new galleries in the two buildings, Purohit told PTI.

"We have 1.08 crore of artefacts but are suffering from space crunch in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. We also have a huge collection of natural specimens of rocks and minerals, and fossils that cannot be put on display," he said.

"The new buildings will enable us to exhibit 90 per cent of the artefacts which are not on display," he said.

A total space of 22,000 square feet would be available in the new galleries being set up at the Belvedere House at the National Library compound in south Kolkata and the Old Currency Building at the heart of the city.

One gallery at the Belvedere House has already been opened to the public, while other galleries will be ready by January 2020, Purohit said.