Yug Yugeen Bharat Museum: India Set to House World's Largest Museum; Details Inside

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new convention centre at the redeveloped India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) complex in Pragati Maidan on Wednesday, providing a glimpse into the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum, which is poised to become one of the world's largest museums upon completion.

The upcoming museum will replace the existing national museum and will feature various thematic segments narrating India's historical journey spanning over 5,000 years. It will sprawl over 1.17 lakh square meters, encompassing both the North and South Blocks, with a total of 950 rooms. Currently, the South Block houses key government offices like the PMO, Defence Ministry, and External Affairs Ministry, while the North Block accommodates the Finance Ministry and Home Ministry, among others.

Officials revealed that the old museum will be incorporated into the Kartavya Path, formerly known as Rajpath.

The concept for the new museum aims to make it highly interactive, taking inspiration from renowned institutions like the British Museum. It is likely to incorporate audio-visual elements and virtual walkthroughs to enhance the visitor experience.

The project has received recognition at an international level, with a joint statement during PM Modi's visit to France highlighting cooperation in the field of museums and heritage. France has offered its experience, particularly from the Grand Louvre, for the retro-fitting of a heritage building to facilitate the display, storage, and exhibition of archaeological antiquities, paintings, numismatics, decorative arts, and more.

The Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will be divided into eight thematic segments, showcasing India's rich civilizational culture through various historical periods, including ancient, medieval, modern India, colonial rule, the freedom struggle, and the post-independence era.

The museum will house artifacts and collections from the current National Museum, which will be shifted to the buildings of the North and South Blocks as part of this ambitious project.

The foundation stone of the present museum building was laid by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on May 12, 1955, and the first phase was formally inaugurated by then Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on December 18, 1960, with the second phase completed in 1989.