It is a pleasure to present Indian Museums and cultural preservation focused edition of #PBNSdailyMagaize today. Ministry of culture has asked museums to remain open without any entry free for the week of May16-20. The celebrations in India are being done with the theme of ‘power of museums’, which is in sync with the theme of International Museum Day 2022 (18th May), ‘The Future of Museums: Recover and Imagine’. This theme is inspired by the changes the world has experienced in the last year and urging people to re-imagine the museums of the future, to respond to the issues we face in the present. It is interesting to note that DYPIU, Pune organised an online symposium on “The Prehistoric Narrative of Humans in the Indian Subcontinent”. Key themes highlight the need to have a fresh look at our history and heritage. A visit to museums seems to be a must do activity from various perspectives.
Cultural preservation too is being seen as an important aspect in New India. Recently, PM Modi has brought back 157 Indian antiquities back to the Indian soil from the US. ASI has retrieved as many as 36 antiquities from foreign countries over the last five years. 55 vigrahas have been returned to India, 42 of which, including that of Goddess Annapurna, have been acquired back in the last 7 years. Parallely, restoration work on heritage sites, historic sites & monuments, excavation processes, renovation initiatives, etc. are being taken up across the country on directions of various govt departments in order to preserve heritage and revive cultural remains.
Whatever we are today has a lot to do with our past and hence study of yesterday and today is leading to our future. Whether it is our biology, perspective or environment, everything present today has its roots in the past. Most of pre-history being studies in classes today are related to holocene period only, which is just the tip of the iceberg. South Asian cultural phases needs to be looked into time periods earlier than that into Mesolithic, Upper and Middle Paleolithic, Acheulian and even pre-acheulian period. What is the significance of studying deep past? Common human origins and complex stories of evolution leading to who we are today, carving out our behavioural and biological evolution.
Last decade has seen tremendous interest in the Cultural History of India. 2020-21 budget mentioned Rakhigarhi, Dholavira and Lothal. Before discovery of Harappan Civilzation some 100 years ago, history of South Asia had discontinuity which got filled with hypothetic scenarios like straight jump from stone age, or Aryan invasion or outsiders bringing culture to this land etc. Now many scholars are looking at multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research with firm belief that small data available at this stage is providing only indication not conclusions. Archaeology, History, Art History, Architectural History, Heritage Science, Geo-archaeology, Geomorphology, Remote Sensing, GIS and Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management are some of the areas that tell stories of true evolution and studies of all these subjects are inter-linked so deeply that answer to one question in one area may emerge as key discovery or clue to solving many other mysteries and enigmas. Thus, research and undertakings here are worth spending resources and time on. Equally important is thinking of ways to preserve and protect such sites from perishing.
Further, Human origin, health and disease are rather closely nit than we imagine. India can be called an ethnic museum with over 4,635 anthropologically well defined population, including 532 tribes, 72 primitive tribes ( 36 still following hunters and gatherers lifestyle). A more detailed scientific study of our past promises discovery of population-specific disease associated genes in South Asia. Though, a genome from Harappan civilisation is from a population that is largest source of South Asians. The population has no detectable ancestry from Steppe pastoralists or from Anatolian and Iranian farmers, suggesting farming in South Asia arose from local foragers rather than from large-scale migration from the West.
Further, Archaeological investigations using remote sensing techniques show astonishing results in expanding our understanding of past. Landscape morphology and spatial patterning of archaeological signature when viewed from above gives a sense of evolution and effects of various natural and human causes. For example, the expanse of Nalanda site is much bigger than the current ASI property, perhaps 40-50 times surrounded by an encompassing canal or Agra having over 50 riverfront palaces, gardens and 2-tier city walling etc.
One who is proud of rich cultural heritage, always works hard to maintain the high level of civilisation and tries to enhance the living standard of fellow citizens. This is where the expand from Angkor Wat, Cambodia to Lebanon’s Baalbek temple needs to have a fresh look and last few years point to a good start of the process. Sea level fluctuations governed the destiny of Lothal, Dwarka, Dholavira, Ramsetu and other coastal towns on Ancient India.
Clearly, Global Warming is big existential challenge humanity is facing right now. Global Warming has clear consequences in terms of Accelerated rise in sea level, change in monsoon pattern, Increase in intensity and frequency of storms, Change in Fisheries pattern etc. Past records from oceanography and geological studies point huge fluctuations in sea level, and highlight the need to delineate natural and human induced changes. New thrust is there to enhance the understanding of past sea level changes through the study of microfossils with special reference to foraminifera in marine sediments of Indian Ocean and adjoining seas.
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