Bharat – Contours of Continuity”— a seven-day-long special museum exhibition got underway at Assam Royal Global University (RGU) on Wednesday celebrating the International Museum Day 2026 and commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram. The programme has been hosted by RGU in collaboration with the Indian Museum, Kolkata under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The inaugural ceremony was graced and addressed by Kumar Sanjay Krishna, former Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam, as chief guest; Sayan Bhattacharya, Director of the Indian Museum, Kolkata, as guest of honor apart from other officials. Significantly, this marks the first time the Indian Museum, Kolkata is hosting such an exhibition in Northeast India, making it a historic cultural occasion for the region.
The programme started with lighting the ceremonial lamp, singing Vande Mataram and the National Anthem and felicitation of dignitaries. Appreciating RGU for hosting this special event, Kumar Sanjay Krishna said, “Museums are not merely buildings with objects, these are living bridges between the past, the present and the future.” As part of the initiative, the Indian Museum is presenting an extensive exhibition featuring replicas of rare antiquities and artworks from its renowned collections.
The exhibition will remain open till May 21, 2026, providing a rare opportunity for the people of the Northeast to engage closely with the cultural treasures and scholarly initiatives of one of India’s oldest and most prestigious museums. Additionally, in commemoration of 150 years of the iconic national song Vande Mataram, the exhibition includes a symbolic tribute to India’s heritage through a portrait of Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, created by eminent artist, Atul Bose.
The programme further includes The Object Doctor, a hands-on training workshop on preventive conservation methods, along with Decoding the Past: Numismatic and Epigraphical Traditions of India, a specialised workshop to be conducted by Prof. Susmita Basu Majumdar from the Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, University of Calcutta, Kolkata. “The initiative is a shared commitment to heritage democratisation, cultural awareness, and academic engagement, while strengthening connections between the youth of the Northeast and institutions of national importance,” a statement issued by RGU said.