Friday, Dec 27, 2013
Kolkata: The 2200-year-old statue of Rampurwa Lion Capital, considered as one of the rarest specimens of Indian civilisation, has been broken and severely damaged during renovation work at the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
According to sources, Lion Capital built in the time of Ashoka the Great, and acknowledged as a rare specimen of Mauryan culture, was being shifted from one end of the lobby to another end as the museum is undergoing renovation since September this year for its bicentenary celebrations in February 2014.
However, the 250BC artefact, which is seven feet tall and weighs several tonnes, was being handled by unskilled labourers who instead of using hydraulic lifts used a makeshift pulley to transfer the same leading to this accident.
Museum authorities described the incident as a “mere accident” including that of West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan, who is the chairman of the museum’s board of trustees, denied the incident saying no artefacts have been broken.
When contacted by Gulf News, spokesperson of the governor said, “We haven’t heard of any such incident and it seems it’s a well planted rumour by people with vested interest.”
“The sculpture had been received by the authorities in a broken condition, which was painstakingly joined. The pictures in circulation are nothing but from that time. May be a section of it has fallen of which will be handled by experts,” said an official of the Indian Museum.
However, the museum authorities have issued a gag order to its officials about speaking to the media and have constituted a probe committee.
Officials reveal that use of unskilled workforce led to this tragedy. “Most the people handling such priceless artefacts are either illiterate or have no clue of the value of these items. Hence they are working on it just like renovating any other building,” said a member of the probe committee on promise of anonymity.
By Archisman Dinda Correspondent
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
