The National Archives of India (NAI) celebrated its 135^th Foundation Day on 11^th March 2025 with an exhibition titled “Indian Heritage through Architecture.” Union Minister of Culture & Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the exhibition.

 

The exhibition showcased India’s rich cultural heritage as reflected in its diverse architectural marvels, spanning thousands of years and encompassing a variety of styles, influences, and historical periods. From the ancient Indus Valley Civilization to medieval temples, Mughal monuments, and colonial-era structures, Indian architecture narrates the nation’s spiritual, cultural, and historical evolution.

 

To provide a comprehensive exploration of Indian heritage through its architectural landmarks, the exhibition categorized these sites into thematic clusters, allowing for a deeper understanding of their historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. A selection of original documents from the archival repository was on display, including official government files, private papers of eminent personalities, archaeological excavation records, UNESCO documents, and rare books from the NAI Library.

 

In his inaugural address, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat lauded the National Archives of India for organizing this remarkable exhibition and highlighted its contributions to the conservation of India’s rich documentary heritage. He emphasized that National Archives of India (NAI) is currently working on the world’s largest digitization program, conserving over six lakh pages in a month and digitizing lakhs of them daily. He further stated that the success of this digitization program has inspired the launch of the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission,’ a visionary initiative aimed at expanding access to India’s vast repository of knowledge.

 

 

On this occasion, the National Archives of India also launched a book titled ‘Thumb Printed: Champaran, Indigo Peasants Speak to Gandhi Volume III.’ This volume contains 423 testimonies, including 143 principal testators, among whom five were women, 11 were minors, 76 signed the documents, and four had no signature or thumb impression. This third volume in the series focuses on the historic Champaran Satyagraha.

The National Archives of India, an attached office under the Ministry of Culture, was originally established as the Imperial Record Department on 11 March 1891 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Following the transfer of the capital to Delhi in 1911, the present NAI building, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, was completed in 1926. The complete transfer of records from Calcutta to New Delhi was finalized in 1937. The National Archives of India also serves as the nodal agency for implementing the Public Records Act, 1993, and the Public Record Rules, 1997.

 

 

Currently, the National Archives of India holds over 34 crore pages of Public Records, including files, volumes, maps, treaties, rare manuscripts, cartographic records, parliamentary debates, censuses, travel accounts, proscribed literature, and government gazettes. A significant portion of its Oriental records is in Sanskrit, Persian, Odia, and other languages.

The 135^th Foundation Day celebrations highlighted the National Archives of India’s ongoing commitment to preserving history, enriching public engagement, and fostering research. Through its continued efforts in digitization, archival conservation, and public outreach, NAI remains dedicated to safeguarding India’s documentary heritage for future generations.

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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