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Comingsoon,aRs.400cr.faceliftforPatnaMuseumTheHindu

NATIONALOTHERSTATES

March12,2012

Comingsoon,aRs.400cr.faceliftforPatnaMuseum
A.Srivathsan

SpecialArrangement
Abird'seyeviewoftheproposedBiharMuseuminPatnabyMakiandAssociatesofJapanandtheirIndianpartnerOpolis.
BihargovernmentpicksTokyobasedfirmtomakeitaworldclassfacility
Atatime,whentheCentralandStategovernmentsarecoldshoulderingpublicinterestinhistory,ignoringtheirmuseumsandallocating
paltryfundsforprotectingthepreciouscollectionsinthem,Biharhastakenupanambitiousandwellthoughtoutprojecttorejuvenateand
rebuilditscrownjewelthePatnaMuseum.
Actingquietly,theStategovernmentconductedaninternationalcompetitionthatbroughtinthebesttalentfromaroundtheworld
includingthearchitectsinvolvedinrebuildingtheWorldTradeCentertodesignaRs.400crorenewmuseuminPatna.Makiand
Associates,aTokyobasedarchitecturefirm,anditsIndianpartnerOpolishavebeenchosen.
The2,000yearoldDidarganjYakshi,oneofthemostpopularandiconicsculpturesinIndia,wouldremainthestarexhibitinthenew
museum,butwithadifference.TheYakshiwillreceivethewelldesigneddisplayitdeserves.Alongwithit,theLohanipurTirthankarathe
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earliestextantexampleofJainaartBuddhistbronzesfromNalanda,terracottasfromBodhGaya,theMauryanlionheadandother
preciousartefactswouldalsomovetothemuchimprovedmuseum,whichwillbecompletedin2015.
ThemostimpressivefeaturesofaristheapproachadoptedbytheBihargovernment.ChiefMinisterNitishKumarneitherwaitedfor
assistancefromtheUnionMinistryofCulture,whichisstillsleepingontheyearoldB.N.GoswamyCommittee'sreportonmodernising
Indianmuseums,nordidhelooktoculturaltsarsfromDelhifordirections.
Lastyear,afterdecidingtobuildanewmuseum,theStateappointedLordCulturalResources,aCanadianmuseumplanningconsultant,to
adviseit.Subsequently,atwostageinternationalcompetitionwasannounced,andasevenmemberjury,includingMartinRoth,Directorof
theVictoria&AlbertMuseuminLondon,wasconstituted.Ofthe26entriesreceivedinthefirststage,fiverenowneddesignfirmswereshort
listed.TheseincludedSnhettaandStudioDanielLibeskind,thetwodesignfirmsinvolvedinrebuildingtheWorldTradeCenterinNew
York.
Wehaveworkedin50countriesandhavebeenmuseumconsultantsformorethanthreedecades.WorkinginBiharhasbeenaverypositive
experience.TheStategovernmenthaspioneeredaprocessthatisprofessionalandrefreshing,saidBatulRaajMehta,seniorconsultantand
IndiaheadofLordCulturalResources.InBihar,asmasterplanners,wehaveadvisedthegovernmentontheconceptualisationofthe
museum,evolvedabusinessplan,andworkedonfinancialandhumanresourcedeployment.Thiscomprehensiveplanningwillleadtoa
museumofinternationalstandardsthatwillberelevanttoBihar,sheadded.
Ofthenearly1,000museumsinthecountry,90percentarestaterun.Thevisitorexperienceintheseoldmuseums,includingtheprestigious
NationalMuseuminDelhi,hasbeenpoor,andthepracticestheyadoptedarewaybelowglobalstandards.
Inthiscontext,thePatnaproject,alongwithanotherproposedmuseum,theKolkataMuseumofModernArt(KMOMA),hascreatedgreat
excitementandhopeamongheritagelovers.Thesetwoproposedmuseumsareexpectedtosetnewbenchmarksinmuseumexperienceinthe
countryandturnaroundgovernmentapathytoculturalfacilities.
TheKMOMAwillbebuiltatacostofRs.410crore,andisdesignedbyHerzog&deMeuron,aninternationalarchitecturefirmknownforits
designsfortheTateModern,London,andtheNationalStadium,Beijing.
WhatmakesBiharstandoutisthatwhiletheKMOMAisatripartiteventureamongthegovernmentofWestBengal,thegovernmentofIndia
andtheprivatesector,thenewPatnaMuseumisanentirelyStateinitiative.Ithasalsomovedataprofessionalpace,whiletheKMOMAhas
beeninthemakingforfouryears.
TheonlyaberrationhasbeenthattheBihargovernmenthasoverruledthedesignjury'srecommendationtoawardtheprojecttotheU.K.
baseddesignfirm,FosterandPartners.
Whileallthefivedesignswereequallycompetitive,we[theStategovernment]hadtogivedueweighttofinancialconsiderationsafterthe
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presentationsandthejuryselection,explainedAnjaniKumarSingh,PrincipalSecretary(Art&Culture),andNodalOfficer,Bihar
InternationalMuseum.
GovernmentsourcestoldTheHinduthatofthetwofinallyshortlistedfirms,onehadquoted30percentofthebuildingcostinconsultation
feeandtheotherchargedonlyhalfofit.Thegovernment,itappears,chosetheonethatwascompetitivelypriced.
(WithinputsfromShoumojitBanerjeeinPatna)

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