Guwahati, May 13: “Bharat – Contours of Continuity”—a 7-day-long special
museum exhibition has been inaugurated today at the Assam Royal Global University (RGU)
celebrating the International Museum Day 2026 and commemorating 150 years of Vande
Mataram.
This significant programme has been hosted by RGU in collaboration with
the Indian Museum, Kolkata under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The inaugural ceremony was graced and addressed by Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Retired
Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam, as the Chief Guest, Dr. Sayan Bhattacharya,
Director of the Indian Museum, Kolkata, as the Guest of Honour, apart from Prof. A.K.
Buragohain, Vice Chancellor RGU and Prof Dr Susmita Basu Majumder, Department of
Ancient Indian History and Culture, Calcutta University.
Besides, three officials from Indian museum, Writh Barua, Tonoy Sengupta and Raja Halder also attended the programme,
apart from others.
Significantly, this marks the first time the Indian Museum, Kolkata is hosting such an
exhibition in Northeast India, making it a historic cultural occasion for the region.
The programme started with lighting the ceremonial lamp, singing Vande Mataram and the
National Anthem and felicitation of dignitaries. Appreciating RGU for hosting this special
event, Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, “Museums are not merely buildings with objects, these
are living bridges between the past, the present and the future.”
As part of the initiative, the Indian Museum is presenting an extensive exhibition featuring
replicas of rare antiquities and artworks from its renowned collections. The exhibition will
remain open from May 13 to May 21, 2026, providing a rare opportunity for the people of the
Northeast to engage closely with the cultural treasures and scholarly initiatives of one of
India’s oldest and most prestigious museums.
Additionally, in commemoration of 150 years of the iconic national song Vande Mataram, the
exhibition includes a symbolic tribute to India’s heritage through a portrait of Rishi Bankim
Chandra Chattopadhyay, created by eminent artist Shri Atul Bose.
The programme further includes The Object Doctor, a hands-on training workshop on
preventive conservation methods, along with Decoding the Past: Numismatic and
Epigraphical Traditions of India, a specialised workshop to be conducted by Prof. Susmita
Basu Majumdar from the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of
Calcutta, Kolkata.
The initiative is a shared commitment to heritage democratisation, cultural awareness, and
academic engagement, while strengthening connections between the youth of the Northeast
and institutions of national importance.
