13 hours Ago By TOI News Desk
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the important role of culture as a cornerstone of " soft power " on Thursday. He noted that the transformation of the North Block and South Block on Raisina Hill into the world's largest museum, "will veritably be seeing an inspiration for the remaking of Bharat".
The external affairs minister made these remarks during an event where India's National Museum and France Museums Développement signed an agreement. Under this partnership, the French agency will provide expertise and share best practices to transform the British-era landmarks into a " global cultural landmark ," envisioned as the Yuga Yugeen Bharat National Museum . The event was attended by union culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, French ambassador to India Thierry Mathou and union culture secretary Arunish Chawla.
Jaishankar said, "We are also seeing a very important cultural collaboration in the making and all of you know, culture in many ways is the essence of soft power." "I also want to remind you that we are gathered here today for a project of great national importance..
. My ministry is located in it. When the South Block and North Block become the kind of museum that is envisage, I think we will veritably be seeing an inspiration for the remaking of Bharat," the minister added news agency PTI reported.
World's largest museum features Shekhawat in his speech, highlighted that the project would transform the understanding of adaptive reuse whilst demonstrating deep regard for India's architectural heritage. The forthcoming Yuga Yugeen Bharat National Museum, set to be the world's largest, will feature eight themed sections chronicling India's 5,000-year history. The new facility, situated in the North Block and South Block at the centre of the capital, will encompass 1.
17 lakh sqm, featuring 950 rooms across a basement and three floors. The development aims to revitalise these historic structures, maintaining their architectural significance whilst adapting their functionality. The South Block currently houses the External Affairs and Defence Ministries, while the North Block accommodates the Finance and Home Ministries.
These two identical structures on Raisina Hill, along with the Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly the Viceroy’s House), stand as iconic symbols of architectural magnificence and administrative authority. Built between 1911 and 1931, they were key elements of the 'New Delhi' imperial capital, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. During his address, the EAM also emphasised on the bilateral relations between India and France.
"For us, this has been a very strong relationship, what in our profession, we call it a strategic partnership, and underpinning that has been that India and France see in each other "important poles" in a multipolar world," the EAM said. "So, when we deepen our cultural collaboration, in many ways, we also adding to a particular kind of relationship, which we believe would create a new and more democratic world order," he added. Shekhawat announced that the museum would incorporate advanced digital narratives, virtual reality installations and interactive displays that would "set a new benchmark for cultural institutions worldwide".
He commended France for its global expertise in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings , citing the Louvre Museum, which is housed in a former palace, as a prime example. The Culture minister indicated that mapping work in the North Block is nearly complete, with South Block mapping in progress. He anticipated that upon completion, this museum would "globally become a most-visited museum in a very short spam of time".
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