The Hindu : New Delhi News : ASI recreates Indian history's treasures

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New Delhi

ASI recreates Indian history's treasures

Neha Alawadhi

In God's likeness:Various works have been replicated and displayed at the Replica Museum.

NEW DELHI: Espousing the rich Indian tradition of creating art that has lasted over centuries, the Delhi Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India has put together a collection of replicas of rare art work and sculptures from across the subcontinent from different periods in time at its Replica Museum in Siri Fort.

“The craftsmanship that has gone into the creation of these unique pieces is unsurpassable,” says ASI Delhi Circle Superintending Archaeologist K. K. Muhammed.

The museum lies just ahead of the Siri Fort auditorium parking. The building housing the museum and the land around it originally belonged to a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officers' club. It was transferred to ASI after a long-drawn legal battle spearheaded by former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, writer Ajit Cour and artist Aparna Caur.

The Replica Museum, which had several replicas installed last year, was conceived by Mr. Muhammed. At present, it has 20 completed pieces that are displayed in the gallery with complete details

“An attempt has been made to have 100 replicas of the finest art work housed in various museums across the country, to make them equally accessible to the casual onlooker as well as the avid traveller,” he said.

The museum has replicas of sculptures like ‘Didarganj Yakshi' from the Mauryan Period (original in Patna, Bihar), ‘Gudimallam Sivalingam', which was originally created in the 1 {+s} {+t} Century B.C. (Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh), a rare posture of the preaching Buddha originally made in the 4 {+t} {+h} Century (Sarnath, U.P.), the famous 7 {+t} {+h} Century ‘Mahishasura Mardini' from Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), a very rare depiction of Lord Siva called ‘Rudra Siva' from the 7 {+t} {+h} Century (Tala, Chattisgarh), and an interesting depiction of ‘Jesus Christ on the Cross' from the16 {+t} {+h} Century (Old Goa, Goa).

Some sculptures like ‘Ravana shaking Kailash' (Ellora, Maharashtra), ‘Varaha lifting Mother Earth' (Udaigiri, Madhya Pradesh) and ‘Arjuna's Penance' (Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu) bring alive the entire narrative as recorded in mythology.

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