The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) inaugurated the Bharat Muni Dirgha, a newly developed exhibition space on the ground floor. The exhibition titled ‘Faces of Traditions and Divinity & Majesty: Masterpieces from the Lance Dane Collection’ was launched at the IGNCA. This exhibition is dedicated to showcasing masks from the Lance Dane Collection, which is housed in the IGNCA archives. The event was officially inaugurated by Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of IGNCA. Present at the event were Dr. Priyanka Mishra, Director (Administration), Prof. Pratapanad Jha, Dean (Academics), Prof. Sudhir Lall, Head of Department of Kalakosh Division, and Shri Anurag Punetha, Controller, Media Centre, IGNCA.

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, after inaugurating the exhibition, extended his congratulations to the Conservation and Cultural Archives Division, as well as all the associated teams, whose collective efforts made the exhibition possible. He further remarked that, in the process of beautifying spaces, the corners of such spaces are often overlooked. Keeping this in mind, the vision was to transform the corridors and other spaces of the IGNCA into exhibition areas. These would serve not only as galleries but also as venues that would not only highlight various aspects of India’s rich cultural heritage but also disseminate knowledge to the general public, researchers, and scholars alike. Dr. Joshi envisioned that initiatives such as these would elevate the IGNCA to one of the premier cultural institutions in the country.

At the outset, Prof. Achal Pandya shared that Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi was the inspiration behind the initiative. He recalled that when the IGNCA first moved to the Janpath building, there were no galleries in the space. Subsequently, the Darshnam 1 and Darshnam 2 galleries were established, and the Bharat Muni Dirgha now stands as the latest addition to this cultural development. Prof. Pandya also mentioned the introduction of the ‘Mask of the Week’ and ‘Object of the Week’, two new initiatives that aim to spark curiosity among visitors and the IGNCA staff, by continuously rotating and showcasing objects of cultural significance. These initiatives are expected to encourage a deeper engagement with the exhibits and broaden the audience's understanding of India's traditional artistic expressions.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

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