Termites, seepage damage artefacts as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar museum faces funds and staff crunch

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nov 19 (PTI) Water seepage and termites have cost a museum in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar many of its prized relics, as the establishment, managed by the municipal corporation, is grappling with a lack of funds and staff crunch.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum, home to nearly 3,000 antiquities dating back to the Satavahana period, sees at least 40,000 visitors annually.

With upkeep stalled, museum officials are now removing exhibits from display to save them from damage, an official said.

The local civic body set up the museum after history scholar Dr Shantilal Purvar donated the collection in 1999.

It houses relics such as Satavahana coins and the only painting of Maratha commander Ibrahim Khan Gardi, who played a key role in the 3rd Battle of Panipat.

Speaking to PTI, honorary director of the museum, Shriprakash Purwar, said, "Termites are eating away the furniture. Chemical treatments have been carried out only a few times in the past. We are now forced to remove some items from display because of damage from water seepage and termites. We have lost a few medieval-era paintings and a leather shield due to rainwater." The museum started with 10 staff members, but is now left with only three, he said.

"We need at least two temporary workers to help with the daily tasks. There was a sound and light show about the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was never held. The control room for the show is also infested with termites. The wooden stands for two cannons, weighing approximately one tonne, are in a weakened condition and pose a danger to visitors. The museum was painted only once when it was commissioned," Purwar said.

Moreover, the museum doesn't have a storage room or a conservation lab, which the local municipal corporation should provide, he said.

A project to establish a research centre about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was approved in 2016 with a budget of Rs 1.6 crore, but now only a signboard for the project remains on the museum's campus.

A city engineer with the municipal corporation said, "We have sent a detailed project report (DPR) for the modernisation of the museum and furniture-related works to the state government. However, the funds haven't been allotted. We are planning to repair the galleries in the museum." "The issues of staff crunch and other maintenance work will be taken into consideration, and we will work on it," he added. PTI AW ARU ARU NR