The Government museum in Kalaburagi renovated crying basic facilities
Kalaburagi: The Government Museum opposite to Government Hospital in Kalaburagi city has been now renovated recently. It took several years to renovate after given several reminders by senior photographer Narayan M Joshi to the concerned officials. He demanded several times to build a beautiful arch entrance and name plate of museum. He kept always reminding Kalaburagi Mahanagar Palike to remove the huge hoardings that installed beside the museum due to which the museum building was not visible. Due to his efforts now the hoardings have been removed.
Though there is a rule of monuments act that there should not be encroachment about 300 meters surrounding the protected monuments, the museum itself has encroached two Bhamani buildings to exhibit the artifacts inside it said artist and photographer Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel. Though the Kalaburagi is a head quarter it has no well planned and spacious museum in the city. Instead of shifting the museum other side the State Archeology has erected poor quality of building inside monumental campus. The two building should vacate immediately he said.
Artist and researcher Rehaman Patel said that the museum holds few important artifacts inside it but not properly maintained. Some of them are a wooden chair of Philip Meadows Taylor who was appointed by Nizam’s government to administer, during a long minority, the principality of young Raja Venkatappa Nayak of Surpur in about 1850, and a manuscript “Shahnama” authored by Qasemi Firdousie Toosi, coins, utensils, terracotta items and many others.
Apart from this the sculptures from Chalukya, Rashtrakuta, Hoysala and Vijayanagara Empire, which are recovered from neighbouring palaces of Kalaburagi district, have been displayed at an open place. The sculptures are carved in different types of stone with minute designs. Some of them are Naga, Musician, Human head, and Kannada shila shasana, Flower design stone, Chaitaya arch motif, Seated royal couple, Frieze of winged animals and others said Rehaman Patel.
However, the rich artifacts of Bahmani era and traditional arts of Hyderabad Karnataka region including Deccani paintings, Bidri art, Kinnala art and Surpur miniatures are missing in the museum. Information brochure is also required for tourists.
It will be no wrong, if one can say that, Gulbarga-the city of domes is itself a great museum which is having hundreds of monuments belongs to multiple kingdoms.
Historical background “The Government museum in Kalaburagi was started under the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums in Karnataka, in 1964 with the aim to provide the ancient collection of Hyderabad-Karnataka region and showcase it for public and study for research scholars.
In 1997 for extension of museum new building was constructed on northern part in the museum campus. This museum set up into three galleries. Gallery number 1 and 2 in domed building and gallery 3 is in new building.”