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Karnavati
: Atit ni Zanki |
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City Museum |
Ahmedabad is a great city for those visiting it. Hospitable people,
great food, has some of the best hotels, is rich in culture and
history…… But all along, it definitely missed a vital necessity.
When visitors asked about a city museum, there wasn't one to show
them. There was never a proper place that showcased the various
aspects of Ahmedabad, and that was always a big disappointment for
eager city exploring enthusiasts. |
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No
longer shall that remain a problem. On the 5th
of April, 2000, Ahmedabad's first ever city museum, the Karnavati :
Atit ni Jankhi (meaning, a window to Ahmedabad's past or history)
was inaugurated by the municipal commissioner, Mr. Kailashnathan.
The museum is owned and maintained wholly by the Ahmedabad Municipal
Corporation. |
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The
museum is a result of the efforts of the Vastushilpa Foundation,
under the guidance of Mr. Yatin Pandya, architect/designer.
It's housed in the famous Sanskar Kendra,
an architectural pride of the city. The Sanskar Kendra was built
in 1954 by the French architect, Le Corbusier. Earlier,
the building was used as a mere hall for art exhibitions or
sales. It would have been a wasted effort, if it had remained
so. What better way to salute the architect's efforts, than to
have the city museum in it. |
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The
museum explains to any visitor, in detail, the various aspects of
Gujarat, particularly Ahmedabad. Even a local Amdavadi should learn
a great deal with a visit to the museum. A variety of subjects are
studied in detail, like : |
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- Ancient Ahmedabad – ancient coins,
land documents, Urdu and Devnagri scripts recovered from the 19th
century, etc.
- Ancient Art – pottery remains, carved
wood elements and frescos from traditional houses or pols, sculpture,
ancient paintings, etc.
- Industrial Revolution in Ahmedabad
- Gandhiism
- Textiles – specimens of cloth, the
block-printing procedure in detail, brocade, chinese embroidery,
carpets, tents, garments of royal families, etc.
- Photography – photographs on exhibit,
famous photographers, antique cameras and camera equipment, etc.
- Communities and Culture – detailed
studies on the various aspects of different religions like Jainism,
Hinduism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Jewism, Sikhism, Vaishnavism,
Swami Narayan, and Islam.
- NID– a section on the National
Institue of Design, Ahmedabad.
- Literature – Gujarati literature,
Urdu literature in Gujarat.
- Performing Arts
- Science
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The
museum should be visited atleast once; the care taken in planning
the whole place is obvious by the place itself.
The lighting in the museum gives the place an enhanced effect that
gives the museum a distinct characteristic to it. Small details are
well taken care of, for example, there are fans at regular
intervals……and mind you, its these little things that make a huge
difference. |
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Its an
ideal place for schools to take the students to, for them to learn a
little more about the city they live in. Or even for people who want
to make a little productive use of their free time.
Most of all, visitors to the city now have a museum that they can
visit, in their attempt to getting to know Amdavad better.
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