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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
textiles. (5) Indian costumes through ages, (6) From cotton to cloth in a modern Textile factory (7) The economic history of India with reference to textiles.
The private enterprise has another achievement to its credit in Gujarat. It is observed that Indian muscum movement is an urban phenomenon. This is so even if most of the people live in small towns or villages. Gujarat was one of the pioneers in shifting the muscological focus to the countryside. As an evidence of that one can cite thc cstablishment of the Children's Museuin in Amreli, in the year 1955 Late Padmashri Prataprai Mehta conceived this brilliant idea. Instead of running to government for support the museum was managed by a private trust. That arrangement freed the pioneering muscum from bureaucratic strangle hoid. The museum was a part of an All-India movement for Childrens' museums. Many innovative themes were selected in that museum. A small Zoo and a Planetarium are added for children's cducation. Toys from different Indian states are given pride of place in vicw of the target andicnce. Yet the cmphasis in selecting toys is to explain scientific principles. To protect the uniquc muscum from financial difficulties, some part of the land given to museum is used for building a moderate and compatible commercial complex with a view of securing rent to support museum activities which are remarkably innovative. Unfortunately, the cxample of the Amreli museum is not emulated in other places in the countryside of Gujarat. The government of Gujarat has a separate department to develop centres for propagating rural Technology and rural Technological Parks, When I was contacted in that connection, I visited the department in Gandhinagar and offered my ideas. In our opinion, such a park should have a rural childrens museum in which the children can see and operate means of modern technology relevant to agro-industries in Gujarat, besides environment and local cultural traditions.
It will be appropriate here to refer to one more muscum as an example of private cntcrprisc. It is of Shreyas Folk Museum in Ahmedabad city. It was established in the year 1974 by Smt. Leona Mangaldas who was a pioneer in the field of education. Its scope is the traditional culture of Gujarat villages cspecially of Kutch and Saurashtra.
The museum is well conccived in terms of presentation and educational activities, in two large halls. But Sections of farmer's house and Kathi house where holistic displays are installed about a thousand well documented original objects are presented. 300 of them are cmbroidered, 150 of woodwork, 75 silken objects, 75 of bead work, 75 of metal ware, 70 stonc, others are Brocade picccs, a leather and silver. Both ruling and pastoral communities of Gujarat are presented in their material culture contexts. The depth of the presentation is not found in other cthnological galleries of Gujarat where presentation appears superficial if not inisleading. For example Kathi population is dealt with all 19 subgroups such as Lalu, Deriya, Vaikha, Karapada, Vadada, Vikma, Kagda, Bhojak, Dhak, Vajasi, Govalia, Kadadia, Gaiya, Vajmal, Tor, Jogia, Boghra, Kasturia and Hudad. These
ules cluczais - casei.--.-bal., 2001.9
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