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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
The Voyage of Winchester Museum, Surat
Dr. Nirmala Sharma
Near Mecca bridge in western corner of Rani Baugh or victoria Garden (nov known as Gandhi baugh) in Surat, stood this beautiful building known as Wincheste Museum. It was named after the collector of Surat Mr. Winchester. In 1890 this enthu siastic collector of Surat organised this museum. It was a single hall structure (cove picture) and housed precious collections of Jariwork, Wood work, Sandlewood and metal warc.
Like each and every artifact in a museum, speaks its history, this museum i: also very old and has its own interesting history. It has faced natural calamities and ravagcs of time and still survived beyond a century. If we brouse through its journey till today, we find, that it was established in 1890. In 1952 the centenary year of Surai Borough Municipality during its celcbration, decided to develop the Museum and in 1953 the inadequacy of space led to the shifting and reorganising of the museum in a bigger building in the Lely weaving shed at chawk Bazar. In 1956, a planned and still bigger accomodation was constructed for this museum and was opened by late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then Union Minister for Railways who later became the PrimeMinister of India. In 1957 the new Museum also had a change in name from Winchester Museum to now renamed as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Museum after the name of Shri Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron man of India who hailed from Gujarat. The blows of Tapti river in 1959 floods, cffected the museum. Since the Muscum was on a low lying arca of Chawkbazar it was tremendosly effected. In 1968 again when ninety percent of Surat city was Under flood water, this Muscum remained three metres immersed in water for ninety six hours drenching all the artifacts. Thanks to thc untiring efforts of the city people who helped save, many of the Art pieces. While things were being placed in order the city was hit by another flood for the third timc that is in 1976. During this flood about 1300 valuable and rare objects were damaged and was a great loss to the Museum. The period from 1959 to 1970 was a period of natural calamity for the city and this calamity effected the Museum terribly. To ensure the safety of these valuable pieces from future disaster, the Surat Municipal corporation raised one more floor above the existing building of Lely weaving shed : In the year 1987, a new Gallery of Historical objects was added, making changes in the picture Gallery below, a philatellic gallery was added. In 1990 after a long struggle for existence this museum reached its contenary year and today to say its an 112 year old history,
This Museum today is the pride and possession of Surat Municipal Corporation and is presently called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Museum, Chawkbazar and stands proudly in the historical city of Surat. It is administered by Surat Municipal Corpora
* Faculty, Nirma Institute, Ahmedabad.
as cluziais - zilsel.-14.-Bal., 2001 • E4
For Private and Personal Use Only
