The Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad is set for a proposed modernisation programme covering galleries, visitor facilities, safety systems, storage and educational initiatives, Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said after chairing a meeting of the museum board on October 17.
The Governor, who is also chairman of the Salar Jung Museum Board, reviewed 13 agenda items concerning the institution’s development, infrastructure and educational programmes at Lok Bhavan. The proposals are aimed at improving the visitor experience and making the museum’s collections more accessible to students and younger audiences.
Curator (Display) Ritesh Sharma presented plans to upgrade the Carpet Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, Indian Miniature Gallery, Toy and Taxidermy Gallery, Furniture Gallery, Textile Gallery and Children’s Gallery. Improvements to the Musical Clock Area were also discussed.
The modernisation agenda includes a temporary exhibition gallery, a stepwell and an interactive orientation space to help visitors understand the museum and its collections. The board also considered improvements to internal and external signage, fire-safety signs, amenity displays and the main directory board.
Several building and operational upgrades are under consideration. These include installing centralised air-conditioning, improving public amenities and washrooms, waterproofing the roof, creating dedicated storage for carpets, upgrading existing elevators and installing an additional elevator. The renovation of the museum’s guest house, preparation of a master plan, project management and coordination of curatorial activities were also identified as priority areas.
The Governor said museums should function as centres of learning rather than only repositories of the past. He called for rare artefacts and historical collections to be presented through contemporary formats, modern technology and improved interpretation methods.
Curator (Education) Joyoti Roy presented the museum’s educational programmes and initiatives for familiarising students and young people with India’s history, art and cultural heritage. The presentations were followed by discussions on gallery modernisation and exhibition methods. The meeting did not announce a completion timeline or a final approved cost for the proposed works.
