On Museum Day, prof speaks on the role of curated local heritage

Dharwad: A small museum can fulfil its purpose in a community by organising events that promote local heritage and culture, Professor Shrinivas V Padigar, a former professor and chairman of the department of ancient Indian history and epigraphy at Karnatak University, said on Wednesday.
The event, to mark International Museum Day in Dharwad, was organised by the INTACH-HDMC Heritage Museum here at the Karnatak Vidyavardhaka Sangha here.
Professor Padigar traced the beginnings of the concept of museums. He called them places for philosophical discussions and a repository of manuscripts of knowledge.
The early museums came into existence by way of private collections that needed a proper place for systematic display and management. These began to fulfil the need for heritage education.
Professor Padigar paid rich tributes to the late NP Bhat and his colleagues of the Dharwad chapter of INTACH for their vision and effort in establishing a cultural museum here.
He illustrated how a photo exhibition of narrative carvings of the life of Buddha found on the Sannati Stupa and of the scenes from Mahabharata can be utilised for educating students and the public about those themes and in creating awareness about the existence of such heritage art.
Arvind Yalagi, the director of the Indo-Portuguese Literary Foundation, Goa, delivered a talk on the Cultural Properties of Karnataka displayed in International museums. JH Kulkarni, former vice-chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad, presided over the event. Sumangala Bhat welcomed the gathering. BR Sarathi introduced the speakers. Shaila Karagudari compered.