The Museum at Central University of Punjab, at present has two gallaries. One of these is the Art Gallery and the other is dedicated to the items and antiquities exhibiting the Cultural Heritage of Punjab.
Art Gallery
The Art Gallary at the Central University of Punjab is a part of the University Museum. In this gallary, various photographs are displayed. For the convenience of the visitors, the display of the art material may be classified into following two categories.
- Photographs of University Campus.
- Phographs of the Monuments of Punjab
These photographs are displayed on the boards and picture hanging sets. The photographs of the City Campus are displayed to exhibit the beginning of the university in a depleted campus and steady growth of the campus with the passage of time and converting the depleted campus into not only habitable one but a lush green campus having multiple facilities. The photographs of the new campus show the growth of the campus from a deserted land into well-structured and managed campus, having eco friendly infracture and well-maintained green landscapes.
The photographs of the monuments of Bathinda are displayed in the similar manner on the satnds exhibiting the historically, culturally and archaeologically significant monuments of Bathinda, which have a great bearing on the history and culture of Punjab since a fairly long time. The idea of the display is to make the visitors acquainted with the rich cultural and architectural legacy of Punjab through the pictorial exhibition of the monuments and other material remains from Bathinda. Right now, the photographs of the Bathinda fort, the earliest of which belongs to as early as 1906 and the latest of 2011-12 have been displayed which reflect the condition as well as history of the fort at least since last hundred years. Apart from these, the photographs of different parts of the fort, which are arhitecturally and historically significant, catch the attention of the visitors. The photographs of the inscriptions found at Hazi Rattan in Bathinda and in the Bathinda fort alongwith, their translations have been displayed on the stands. Photographs of some other monuments such as the Hazi Rattan Mosque, Gurudwara inside the fort complex, Havelis in Bathinda city, the buildings like Church and Naach Ghar etc. belonging to the colonial period have also been on the display.
Some photographs dipicting the folk art of Punjab performed by the students of the Central University of Punjab on various occassions have been displayed. A few photographs, which are being displayed on the board, give a reflection of the handicrafts of Punjab.
Thus, the Art Gallary in the Central University of Punjab reflects the steady growth of the University in city as well as Ghudda Campus alongwith multiple dimensions of the rich cultural heritage of Punjab through the ages.
The Gallary of the Cultural Heritage of Punjab
The Gallary contains the antiquities acquired from the exploration and excavation of the archaeologogical sites of Punjab some of which are located in the close proximity to Bathinda. The antiquities on the display belong to the period as old as the Indus Valley (Sindhu-Sarasvati) civilization as well as to the medieval, modern (colonial) and even contemporary period. The idea of the display is to attract the attention of the visitors towards the rich cultural and archaeological heritage of Punjab through the ages. The collection in the display at the university museum comprises the potsherds, bricks, terracotta bangles, beads, animal bones, stone objects etc. belonging to the period of the Indus Valley/Ghaggar- Hakra/Sindhu-Sarasvati civilization to the medieval period. The utensils of day to day household needs, made of bronze and steel, instruments of carpenter, weights and measures, antique items like cameras, furnitures, manuscripts (Shahnama of Firdausi, 19th Century copy of Tulsi Das’s Ramayana, Miniature copy of Bhagwat Gita, Gurmukhi manuscript), agricultural tools, pestles and mortars, locally made mats, Punjabi Phulkaris etc., belonging to the modern and contemporary periods are displayed. There is a good collection of coins and currency notes of India and some foreign countries.
The Museum is continuously and consistantly expanding and more gallaries are scheduled to be opened for the public very soon.
Dr. Ashwani Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of History, is Incharge of the Museum.