Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, inaugurates Eternal Gandhi multimedia museum at Gandhi Smriti

day inaugurated the innovative Eternal Gandhi multimedia Exhibition at Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg, New Delhi.

The exhibition sprawling over 8000 sq. ft., has been put up by the Aditya Birla Group as a tribute to the humanitarian values that the Mahatma epitomized, and to help percolate these to the young across the nation.

Addressing the distinguished gathering among whom were Mr. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Culture, Information & Broadcasting; Mrs Shiela Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi; Mrs Rajashree Birla and Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Prime Minister appreciated this initiative to take the message of the Mahatma in such a novel manner. He believed that an exhibition of this kind would stoke an even greater interest in the Father of the Nation, not only in India but globally.

The exhibition opens under the aegis of the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, of which the Prime Minister is the Chairman.

Dr. Savita Singh, Director, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, remarked, "The idea to do something for propagating Gandhian thoughts and values, and the teachings of the Mahatma, is not new for Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. We have been deliberating amongst ourselves and from time-to-time several steps have been taken and several thoughts have been pondered over. This eternal journey towards project Shashwat Gandhi has been one such historical moment when an idea came in the form of Smt. Rajashreeji Birla and her team from the Aditya Birla Group - to contribute to the never-ending journey of the Mahatma. Its culmination is this Eternal Gandhi multimedia exposition."

Mrs Rajashree Birla, Director, Aditya Birla Group, who has spearheaded this initiative, says that the exhibition, the brainchild of Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, was conceived to "pay homage to the Father of the Nation at one level. At another level, for quite some time, all of us in the Birla family, who have been deeply influenced by the humane values that Gandhiji and Shri G D Birla espoused, felt a compelling need to present these in a contemporary fashion to the youth and the children of today. To give them a sense of history, to help them realize at what cost we won our freedom, to give them a feel of our leaders, of our nation in its making - we believe is worthwhile. Most importantly, to take the message of shanty - peace, of satya - truth, of ahimsa - nonviolence, ekta - the universality of mankind, in today's day and age".

"To rediscover these truths that the Mahatma lived by, we thought we should take them as voyagers on an energizing and revealing journey that could touch them in a sublimal way - and embed his life's message in their psyche. This has been our endeavour. To do so, we have c;reated a technological marvel, admirably conceptualized and e;xecuted by Mr. Ranjit Makkuni, a renowned computer and multimedia expert," remarked Mrs Birla.

14 April 2005

The entire walk through the exhibition serves as a stimulus, even a resurgence into Gandhism and is undeniably a serendipitous experience. It can be a guiding light for this generation and for all generations to come, given its potential to ignite the minds of the young and spark in them an unquenchable thirst for truth, for values, for compassion, avers Mrs Birla.

Mr. Ranjit Makkuni, the Project Director, informed that the Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Exhibition is one of the world's first digital multimedia exhibitions made possible through the commitment of the Aditya Birla Group and the government to propogate Gandhism.

"The project presents a language of physical interface actions derived from classical symbols of the spinning wheel, turning of the prayer wheels, touching symbolic pillars, the act of hands touching sacred objects, collaboratively constructed quilts, sacred chanting in the collective group, the satsanga and the touching and rotating of prayer beads. These tradition-based interactions inspire a rich panorama of tactile interfaces that allow people to access the multimedia imagery and multidimensional mind of Gandhiji," said Mr. Makunni.

The technology developed does not 'merely scan' Gandhian images. It extrapolates Gandhian ideals to newer domains of information technology and product design, and at higher levels, the creation of meaning in a globalised world. For example, the Gandhian commitment to hand-based production and its symbiotic relationship with nature is interpreted in the context of modern culture-conscious design, commented Mr. Makkuni.

The contributions of the spectrum of artists, spanning wide geographic boundaries and disciplines, illustrate the universal resonance in Gandhian messages. Computer scientists, modern designers, mosaic makers, craftsmen, artists and wood carvers offer their work as a dedicated prayer, in remembrance of the Gandhian vision; a collective Likita Japa, the endless remembrance of the Divine through repetition of the written mantra. Each object in the exhibition, whether a pixel of light, a bit-map on the screen, an animation, a circuit or a handcrafted object, is a living prayer. Here lies the reaffirmation of the Gandhian view, a commitment to the dignity of hands, the healing of divides, the leveraging of village creativity and cultural diversity in the face of homogenization, concluded Mrs Birla.

The exhibition is now open to the public who can visit between 10.00 am. and 5.00 pm. on all days barring Monday.