From galleries telling the stories of the lives, achievements and challenges faced by Prime Ministers to virtual walks or selfies with a PM, the new Museum on Prime Ministers that will open to the public on April 21 would give visitors a glimpse into the world of Prime Ministers.
The museum, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, includes personal objects of former Prime Ministers, like Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Bharat Ratna medal, a letter to Indira Gandhi by a Class 4 student who wanted to become Prime Minister, and Morarji Desai’s copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
The museum, built on the Teen Murti Estate that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, starts with panels with quotes by all Prime Ministers, with the first, Jawaharlal Nehru, on one side, and the current, Mr. Modi, on the other.
The gallery on Indira Gandhi covers the nationalisation of banks, the split in the Congress and the Emergency, which includes the jail diary of Jayaprakash Narayan. Chaudhary Charan Singh’s gallery includes photographs with family and an original copy of his 1964 book, India’s Poverty and its Solution. Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s gallery includes an exhibit on the Kargil war, with a piece of rock and dirt from Tiger Hill.
Exhibits dedicated to the making of the Constitution, virtual reality rides through an imagined “future” India, and holographic projections of Prime Ministers’ speeches from the ramparts of the Red Fort are also included, apart from galleries on Prime Ministers. A sound and light show depicting the achievements of India in 75 years of Independence will be held in the evenings.
The museum, which will be closed on Mondays, will cost ₹100 as entry fee for Indians above 12 years through online booking on pmsangrahalaya.gov.in and ₹110 through offline, while the cost for children below 12 will be 50% less. For ₹20 each, visitors can get a letter with their names and the signature of the Prime Minister of their choosing in their handwriting.
