The long-delayed relocation of Pune’s Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum from Shukrawar Peth in Kasba to Bavdhan Budruk in Kothrud has gained momentum after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar this week sought that an expert architect be appointed to design an international-level ‘museum city’ to house its collection.
Minister Chandrakant Patil, the MLA from Kothrud, Hemant Rasane, the MLA from Kasba, and the museum’s management were a part of the discussions held two days ago.
With 25,000 artefacts and items, the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum was established in 1962 by Dinkar Kelkar and later handed over to the state government in 1975.
However, a lack of space and limited vehicle parking availability have impacted the footfall to the museum.
“The museum presently showcases only 10 per cent of its collection due to space constraints. The footfall at the museum has been stagnant at around 1.3 lakh per year despite the growth of the city, which is not justifiable to the historical importance,” said Sudhanva Ranade, director of the museum.
Though the state government had allotted 6 acres of land in Bavdhan Budruk for the museum 20 years ago, the relocation is yet to take place.
The land allotted 20 years ago should have a museum complex, as this would encourage more visitors to visit the museum, Ranade said.
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“It will be a proud moment for residents of Kothrud Assembly constituency as they will have a renowned establishment in their jurisdiction. It will also come as a relief for residents of the Kasba Assembly seat that the museum is well developed after it is relocated,” he added.
The proposal to relocate the museum envisions displaying all the 25,000 holdings in one place and encouraging research on them.
“Apart from the museum, there are plans to build a research library, hostel, art gallery, auditorium and amusement park to attract tourists. The major issue of parking will also be sorted out in the available land,” the proposal states.
Patil said that the relocation of the museum to his Assembly constituency was welcome news.
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“We will push for the relocation…it would bring pride to the Kothrud constituency,” he said, adding that the museum’s state-of-the-art infrastructure would attract tourists.
On his part, Rasane said that he has always worked for the conservation of Pune’s rich culture by taking up heritage conservation projects.
“The relocation of Kelkar museum will give justice to the historical collection of artefacts, which can get a good display in a spacious place,” he said.
