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The Louvre, far-famed for housing masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, and the National Museum, New Delhi, a custodian of the Indus Valley Civilization’s remnants, are both pillars of cultural preservation. Their collaboration promises intriguing possibilities, with developments on the horizon. According to the Letter of Intent signed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, France and India are set to partner for the new National Museum in New Delhi and fortify the Indo-French partnership, Wego reports.
France is going to partner with India to further the development of this new project through the national agency, France Muséums Développement.
As announced by President @EmmanuelMacron and PM @NarendraModi, France will partner with India for the ambitious new National Museum in #NewDelhi.
Yesterday, @lechevallierAS & a team of 🇫🇷experts discussed the next steps in this cooperation & visited the upcoming museum site. pic.twitter.com/FoO84LXdbd
— French Embassy in India 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@FranceinIndia) April 23, 2024
French diplomat Aurélien Lechevallier, on his visit to participate in the Governing Council meeting of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and advance Indo-French cooperation on culture and global commons, visited with the North and South Block, where the new museum will be located.
France Muséums pioneered the creation of the first universal museum of the 21st century in Abu Dhabi, with the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Since then, they have been able to weave the best of French and foreign cultures together with their contemporary universal approach. The collaboration with the National Museum of India will ensure proper development and management of the museum, conservation and display of artifacts, and enhanced visitor experience.
The North and South Blocks of the National Museum were once government offices for Imperial India, but now they house the External Affairs Ministry, the Defence Ministry, and the Prime Minister’s Office. After March 2025, they can be anticipated to house the brand new National Museum, Yuge Yugeen Bharat Indian Museum, the largest national museum in the world.
Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will cover over 170,000 sq.m, featuring 950 rooms widespread over a basement and three storeys. It is purported to feature eight thematic segments, including ancient Indian knowledge, ancient to medieval, medieval to transition phase, modern India, the colonial rule when the Dutch, the British, the Portuguese and others came to India, and the freedom struggle 100 years from 1947 onwards. Along with all the old artifacts and rich collections of the National Museum, the buildings of the North and South Blocks will be shifted to be part of the new museum.
