Museums with the children

“There is something extremely powerful
about the original artifact or specimen. History comes alive just by looking at an object, experiencing it,knowing how old it is and where it came from or who wore it. This vase ,this sculpture, this fossil right in front of me has survived earthquakes,storms at sea,wars,revolutions ,maybe it was buried and forgotten for thousands of years…and here it is before me.”

Xerxes Mazda,
Royal Ontario Museum

* * *

My father first started taking me to Museums in the 1970s. The Parvati temple museum of the Peshwas in Pune, the Salarjung museum, the Mysore Palace. The museum bug has stayed with me since then.

 One has to pass on something of one’s parents to one’s children. In this effort, I take my sons to museums, just as my father did.

Took the children to National museum and Rail museum. Went through the galleries and also remembered the previous times when we have come here. An afternoon in the museums and galleries of Delhi.Felt very nostalgic. But can life be lived backwards?

The children watched the different stages of Indian civilization

While going to the rail museum, took Sahil to the spot in the National Gallery of Modern art where I had clicked him when he was two years old.

 

At National Gallery of Modern Art

SAHIL-30^TH MARCH 2003                             

  NOV 2,2008

 

At Prince of Wales Museum Bombay-Nov 7,2008

 

Sagar-Feb 26,2006  

                            Sagar-Sahil-Papa-walking together on these museum paths-Nov 7,2008

 

Cuddling together-Sagar-Sahil-Mamta

 

 

Reading clubs, Museum tours, and city treks.

 

 

 

 

The Dr.Bhau Daji Lad Museum is the oldest museum of Mumbai. It showcases the indusrial arts and life in 19^th century Mumbai, earlier Bombay. The early collection consisted of replicas of the objects sent for the Great Exhibition of 1851 at London.

Initially housed in the Town Barracks, the collection was opened to the public in 1857 with Sir George Birdwood, as the Curator. The year 2007 markes the 150^th anniversary of this special event. In 1858 public funds were raised for the construction of a grand Palladian building with high Victoria interiors that was completed and opened to the public on may 2, 1872 as the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The museum was renamed Dr.Bhau Daji Lad Museum in 1975 in honor of the man whose vision and dedication ensured its establishment.

Wh

 Walking these paths, I feel the presence of the person who first started me on

these journeys. I pass the baton on…to my dear children.

 

 

 

SABRATHA- ANCIENT ROMAN CITY- APRIL 2004

The museums in this ancient city are of great interest.

GHADAMES- CITY ON THE ANCIENT CARAVAN ROUTES- LIBYA ..

Sahil and Mamta walking in the ancient city of Ghadames-November 2004

The family with a local tribesman in Ghadames-Libya

SCULPTURES…MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS-MALTA- 2010..There is a Pizzahut nearby where we enjoyed
many meals after lovely hours walking in the MFA, soaking in the Magic of art movements
like the Caravagisti. This has led to further interest in Art history and related movements.

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM-CHINA SECTION-NOV 2013

Nature through the ages…ROM celebrates its 100 years.
Musing in front of this exhibit one thinks of Cosmic and Geological time.
Remembered a talk in Clarke Hall-Port Credit- in which the nature-historian and writer
mused over a rock and wondered aloud..will our species survive a million years?

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM- TORONTO

MUSEUM OF ARCHEOLOGY -ISTANBUL

OTHER POSTS OF INTEREST

Walks in Malta Again

https://prashantbhatt.com/2010/10/29/walks-in-malta-agai/