PDL to help Renovate Museum at Kapal Mochan

05 Nov 2011

It is an accepted fact that museums play important role in heritage preservation and maximizing the reach of heritage material. The renovation of 'Guru Gobind Singh Museum of Martial Arts' is an important step in this direction. This museum has been renovated with the initiatives of Shri Guru Harkrishan International Centre of Excellence for Museum, Jagadhri; Panjab Digital Library and Chandigarh Museum and Art Gallery in Kapal Mochan in district YamunaNagar of Haryana. Representatives of these organizations Mr. Parampal Singh, Davinder Pal Singh and Dr. P.C. Sharma shared vision behind the project at a press conference in Chandigarh.

Heritage material related to Guru Gobind Singh ji like coins, paintings, miniatures, manuscripts, photographs, maps and newspapers will be displayed in the museum, which will be open for visitors from November 7, 2011 onwards. The annual mela on the occasion of Guru Nanak Ji's birth anniversary is supposed to invite 7-8 lakh visitors. The press conference was called to generate awareness about the museum. Addressing the press conference Mr. Parmpal Singh said that museums play important role in spreading awareness about heritage. In this direction he has taken initiatives in Jagadhri area. He established a museum in his college and preparations to start a course for Museum Education are at an advanced stage. Most of the government museums in Haryana are non-functional due to inadequate staff and other facilities. Parmpal Singh's efforts have resulted in partial renovation of 'Guru Gobind Singh Museum of Martial Arts'.

Panjab Digital Library (PDL) has collaborated with this effort right from its inception. PDL started digitizing manuscripts, rare books, newspapers, magazines and historical documents in 2003. It has digitized more then six million pages and one million of this stock is available online (www.PanjabDigitalLibrary.org). PDL has given valuable exhibits to 'Guru Gobind Singh Museum of Martial Arts' for display. These exhibits include Hukanamas by Sikh Gurus, Manuscripts of Choupai, Gurbilas Patshahi Dasvin, Panj Granthis all from 19th century. Coins of Sikh Misl, Maharaja Ranjit Singh's and other princely states of the region are part of these exhibits. All coins of the Sikh Raj have the name of Guru Gobind Singh on them. The inaugural issue of Khalsa Akhbar Lahore (1886) is going to be displayed prominently. Davinder Pal Singh, Executive Director, PDL said, "We are expanding out activity by being part of collective effort to renovate 'Guru Gobind Singh Museum of Martial Arts'. Our primary objective is digital preservation of heritage material and putting this material in reach of masses is next step for heritage awareness. In this direction this museum is going to be an important step ahead." He further added, "Museums incite interest in heritage. If museums can arose curiosity among visitors they can become catalyst in heritage preservation."

Four days national workshop-cum-exhibition and seminar on historical and socio-cultural prospective on united Punjab is also being organized with support from PDL and International Centre of Excellence for Museum Education in collaboration with Dept. of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of Haryana under the aegis of Govt. Marshal Art Museum at Kapal Mochan from November 7 November, 2011 as a part of grand celebrations of internationally acclaimed 'Mela' to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

About 25 eminent artists from all over the country will be participating in the art workshop to paint and generate works of art/paintings on Sikhism, folk art & cultural and architectural heritage of united Punjab.

The art exhibition will be comprised of five sections viz-e-viz marshal art and manuscript, numismatic section, literary and architectural heritage, life, philosophy and contribution of Sikh Gurus and folk art of Punjab. A seminar on Sikhism and related aspects will also be organized on the occasion which will be participated by the eminent scholars of the region working on Sikh History and socio-cultural aspects of united Punjab.

The above art and literary activities are being conceptualized, created and executed under the expert guidance of nationally renowned musicologist Dr. P.C. Sharma, Chief Consultant-cum-Director International Centre of Excellence for Museum Education, Jagadhri and eminent digitizer D.P. Singh, Executive Director, PDL, Chandigarh. The exhibition is being curated by a renowned artist Dr. Amita.

About Panjab Digital Library
The mission of the Panjab Digital Library (PDL) is to locate, digitize, preserve, collect and make accessible the accumulated wisdom of the Panjab region, without distinction as to script, language, religion, nationality, or other physical condition.

PDL is dedicated to:
Addressing heritage loss due to environment, ignorance and destruction
Saving invaluable treasures to enrich the present and enlighten the future
Connecting people globally by providing continued free online access to heritage material


Released by;
Daljit Ami
Director Outreach
9781121873
07 November 2011