 |
| GOVERNMENT MUSEUMS OF
MAHARASHTRA |
DR A. P. JAMKHEDKAR |
| Today in Maharashtra there are 10 museums which are
under the control of the State Department of Archaeology and Museums.
These museums are of different types and can be classified as art museums,
period museums, site museums. Before independence there was no declared
policy for the establishment of a museum. The Archaeological Survey of
India and other agencies in the different presidencies became aware of the
large cultural heritage, especially in the form of temples, sculptures and
antiquities, and archaeological museums were set up near important sites and
cities like Calcutta, Madras and Nagpur. Museums dedicated to other
disciplines were very rate. In the 19th Century as industrial and
agricultural exhibitions were held around the world, similar exhibitions were
held in India also; sometimes to select objects to be sent to Europe. The
native Princely States in their turn realized the need to have museums with
different objectives. The museums of Kolhapur, Sangli and Aundh were
established by the princely states there. Many times, the character of
the museum was decided because of the likings and predilections of the local
prince. The Maharaja of Sangli, for example, has long with the plaster
-casts of Italian marbles, paintings of various Indian themes by illustrious
artists like Muller and Dhurandhar and also a collection of certain from
eastern countries. |
The collection in the Kolhapur Museum contains a large
number of sculptures of the Shilahara period (9th to 13th Century A.D.), works
of handicrafts from Savantwadi, excavated antiquities from the Brahmapuri mound
in Kolhapur, and portraits and landscapes of famous artists from the same
place. While establishing these museums the respective princes must have
felt that whatever they have collected because of their personal liking and
also, whatever art and cultural heritage was discovered in their areas had to
be preserved. A more conscious effort was however made by the Raja of
Aundh who seems to have been clear in his mind regarding the nature of the
museum he was going to establish. |
The Raja during this travels in Europe collected many
contemporary paintings of English artist. He made several copies of the
masterpieces of European paintings, collected specimens of different schools of
Indian miniature paintings (Ragamalas, Royal Portraits, Narrative Paintings
illustrating Indian myths and legends), contemporary paintings of Bengal,
paintings from the Bombay School of Art and some good illustrations of European
Sculptures in marble. To these he added some family portraits from his
own house, some special paintings made by apprentices trained by him (like Mr.
Kotyalkar) and some beautiful miniature carvings on sandal-wood by one Gudigar
as also some precious artistic collection from his family treasures. The
Raja of Aundh was very clear in his mind of his objectives. He wanted his
subjects to know consciously about the artistic heritage of this country as
also other civilized countries of Europe and learn from these traditions, so
that the life of the present generation is endowed with richness. He not
only invited artistes to his palace and offered them liberal hospitality but
was anxious to learn from them as he himself was an active artist. He has
also published an edition of the Ramayana. He encouraged young artists
with talent to learn painting and carving and provided them themes of his
liking. He had a good collection of paintings on the life of Shivaji done
by contemporary artists of the Bombay School of Art. On the basis of
these paintings he made Gudigar the woodcarver to make a complete panel on
sandalwood in a sequential and artistic manner. The likeness is so
perfect that only a connoisseur can make out which carved piece or panel
imitates which painting. He similarly encouraged sculptors to make images
not only in the traditional style but also using modern techniques. In
fact, he had on his own taken a group of artists to Ajanta to render some of
the narrative scenes from the painted caves there, in water colour copies. |
| At the time of Independence, there was no museum
which could be called a Government Museum. The only museum in the
establishment of which the then Bombay Government had any role to play were the
Prince of Wales Museum of Western India and the Lord Reay Industrial Museum at
Pune (later renamed the Mahatma Phule Vastu Sangrahalya, Pune). The
Government brought into existence these museums after passing an act in the
Legislative Assembly of the State in the years 1909 and 1948. The act
provided that these were to be run by boards of trustees with the help of a
Government grant made available to them. After Independence and the
reorganization of States, the museums at Kolhapur and Aundh and the Central
Museum at Nagpur came under the control of the Government of Bombay and then of
Maharashtra. |
| |
|
|
|