Indian Museum Kolkata Launches 7-day Exhibition at Royal Global University
GUWAHATI, May 13, 2026:
“Bharat – Contours of Continuity”—a 7-day-long special museum exhibition has been inaugurated today at the
Assam Royal Global University (RGU) celebrating the International Museum Day 2026 and commemorating 150
years of Vande Mataram. This significant programme has been hosted by RGU in collaboration with the Indian
Museum, Kolkata under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The inaugural ceremony was graced and addressed by Mr. Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Retired Chief Secretary of the
Government of Assam, as the Chief Guest, Dr. Sayan Bhattacharya, Director of the Indian Museum, Kolkata, as
the Guest of Honour, apart from Prof. A.K. Buragohain, Vice Chancellor RGU and Prof Dr Susmita Basu
Majumder, Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, Calcutta University. Besides, three officials
from Indian museum, Mr Writh Barua, Tonoy Sengupta and Raja Halder also attended the programme, apart from
others.
Significantly, this marks the first time the Indian Museum, Kolkata is hosting such an exhibition in
Northeast India, making it a historic cultural occasion for the region. The programme started with lighting
the ceremonial lamp, singing Vande Mataram and the National Anthem and felicitation of dignitaries.
Appreciating RGU for hosting this special event, Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, “Museums are not merely
buildings with objects, these are living bridges between the past, the present and the future.”
As part of the initiative, the Indian Museum is presenting an extensive exhibition featuring replicas of
rare antiquities and artworks from its renowned collections. The exhibition will remain open from May 13 to
May 21, 2026, providing a rare opportunity for the people of the Northeast to engage closely with the
cultural treasures and scholarly initiatives of one of India’s oldest and most prestigious museums.
Additionally, in commemoration of 150 years of the iconic national song Vande Mataram, the exhibition includes a symbolic tribute to India’s heritage through a portrait of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, created by eminent artist Shri Atul Bose.
The programme further includes The Object Doctor, a hands-on training workshop on preventive conservation methods, along with Decoding the Past: Numismatic and Epigraphical Traditions of India, a specialised workshop to be conducted by Prof. Susmita Basu Majumdar from the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta, Kolkata.
The initiative is a shared commitment to heritage democratisation, cultural awareness, and academic engagement, while strengthening connections between the youth of the Northeast and institutions of national importance.
