NEW DELHI, Sept 10: Certified original copies of the US’ Charters of Freedom, a ‘fahua’-lid jar from China
and Panini’s grammar treatise “Ashtadhyayi” from India are among the historic items displayed at the
Bharat Mandapam as part of a G20 ‘culture corridor’.
The one-of-its-kind project was unveiled on Saturday, coinciding with the opening of the summit.
The exhibition of artefacts — in physical and digital form — has been set up on the same floor where the
leaders’ meetings took place. They walked through this corridor while moving into and out of the
summit room.
The two-day G20 Summit attended by top world leaders ended on Sunday. A New Delhi Leaders’
Declaration was adopted after the meeting on Saturday.
The ‘Culture Corridor – G20 Digital Museum’ was envisioned by the Union Ministry of Culture under
India’s presidency of the bloc as a ‘phygital’ project.
Manuscripts of the Rig Veda from India, a rare copy of the Magna Carta from the UK and an anamorphic
digital image of the Mona Lisa — the 16th century Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece on display at the
Louvre in Paris — are among the several artefacts being exhibited at the ‘culture corridor’.
Officials had earlier this month said there was a plan to open the corridor to the public after the summit.
“India’s G20 presidency theme is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakum’ and with this international project, we are
walking the talk that the world is one family as we will display cultural objects from all 20 members and
nine invited countries as part of this ‘culture corridor’, envisioned as a G20 legacy project, a ‘museum in
the making’,” a source had earlier said.
As part of this project, conceptualised about six months ago, India asked each G20 member and invited
country to make submissions under four categories — physical object of cultural significance, “iconic
cultural masterpiece” in digital format, high-resolution digital content depicting the intangible heritage
and natural heritage of each of the countries.
The physical objects have been loaned for a limited period, the source had said.
As an exhibition themed on the ‘Mother of Democracy’ is being also hosted to mark the summit, a fifth
segment was added to the ‘culture corridor’ project in which an “ancient artefact related to democratic
practices” in physical or digital format was sought from each G20 member and invited country.
In the object of cultural significance category, India has displayed Panini’s “Ashtadhyayi”, the ancient
grammar text sourced from the Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, Delhi. In the
artefact related to democratic practices category, the Rig Veda manuscript has been displayed.
In the iconic cultural masterpiece category, Bhimbetka cave paintings from Madhya Pradesh, dating
back to approximately 30,000 years, are displayed in digital format, the official had said.
In the artefact related to democratic practices category, the US is sharing “original copies of the Charters
of Freedom”, certified by the American government.
The Charters of Freedom refer to three historic 18th century documents of the US — the United States
Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
After India’s presidency of the G20 ends, “this project will have an afterlife and it will be preserved in a
digital form in a portal, also containing digital images of the physical objects,” a source said.
“We will be happy to offer it to countries subsequently assuming the presidency (of the bloc),” he
added. (PTI)
