Imphal, March 16: Inspite of being one of the museums having the largest collection of gold items of antiquity, the Manipur State Museum at Imphal has not been able to display these valuable items to the visitors on account of the law and order problem and the same are being kept locked up in the strong room.

Since its establishment, the State Museum has collected a large quantity of gold items of the past found during the course of excavation at various sites like Sekta, Lamboiching, Chingmeirong and Cheiraoching.

Among the excavated sites, the collection from Cheiraoching was the largest and most prized.

In all 13 gold items including a golden skull and other decorative items made of gold have been collected.

Even if the people are aware of the finding of rare gold items from Cheiraoching, only the photographs of these items are being put up for display for public viewing in the gallery of the State Museum.

The gold-casted Hidaphu used by Maharani Dhanamanjuri is also one of the most rarest collections of the museum.

But the same is also being shown to the public only through its photograph.

As the Government of Manipur has not made any conscious effort and arrangement to showcase these rare collections to the public even for a single day in a year, apprehension has been raised as to whether these gold items are still kept in the museum or not.

There have been instances in which some of the interested persons even approached the officials of the museum in this regard requesting to record the valuable items kept in the strong room on video.

Regardless of the law and order problem, it is learnt that the officials of the museum had earlier intimated to the Government to take up necessary arrangements for showcasing these valuable items for public viewing even for one day in a year.

Unfortunately, the Government has not given any response.

On the other hand, in view of the ever deteriorating law and order and absence of a proper gallery, the museum officials have also not pursued the matter with the Government any further.

Talking to The Sangai Express, Assistant Curator of the Museum explained that the valuable gold items of the museum have not been put up for public viewing as the existing building of the museum is not convenient and secure enough.

A few years back, consultation was held with the Indian Museum at Kolkata for replacing the glasses of the gallery with bullet proof and development of the museum to suit the changing time.

Consequently, the Indian Museum had sought a project proposal in this connection.

But the matter has not been translated into action with the Govt sleeping over it.

The existing State Museum is a multi-purpose museum and it is being guarded by six Home Guard personnel.

Necessary developmental works of the museum is being taken up from time to time with the fund allocated by the Ministry of Culture with Indian Museum as the nodal agency.

At present, efforts are being made for construction of a period room and an archeology gallery extension.

The period room proposes to house the items used by kings and other royal families while in the archeology gallery, coins minted and used by the people before as well as during the reign of various kings, manuscripts and other pre-historic objects would be displayed for public viewing, the Assistant Curator disclosed.

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