After missing several deadlines, SPS Museum Complex thrown open for public

Kashmir received an unexpected gift on the eve of World Heritage Day as the much-awaited SPS Museum Complex here was thrown open for public without any fanfare. The gates of the Rs 65-crore museum complex—in the making for a decade—was opened on Tuesday, even scores of excited students, art-lovers and curious visitors entered the building. The spacious state-of-the-art museum took everybody by surprise with its features.

Touted as one among best museum buildings, the new complex is designed in a way that a visitor starts his journey with ‘Burzahom Exhibition’ corresponding to start of 5,000 years of Kashmir history. The visitor then follows the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and other eras. The Museum has galleries, internal heating and cooling system, modern audio-visual facilities, LED lighting for sensitive artifacts, multilingual display and other facilities, though much of them are still not fully commissioned.

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The Museum has one of the richest artifact collections in India. “Till date we have shifted around 75,000 artifacts of the total 85,000 to the new museum and transferring rest is in progress,” said M Shafi Zahid, Director, Archeology Archives and Museums. “We have been receiving feedback from everywhere and a main question we are asked is why we had kept this treasure hidden for such a long time.”

The Police Housing Corporation, constructing the museum, has been at the receiving end for dragging the work for years despite having all the required funds at its disposal. “Even today they are working in basement and some more areas. It is a pace of work that will make tortoise look like a racing car,” said an insider. 

The complete section of museum has separate sections on Archeology, Coins and Numismatics, Arts and Crafts, Culture and Society and Armoury etc. The artifacts shine under the aesthetically-pleasing LED lights.

Taking care of safety, the museum has 65-foot deep foundation, the building is seismic-V resistant, fire resistant, damp-proof and highly secure. Designed by local architects, the exteriors depict the traditional Kashmiri architecture whereas the interiors have state-of-the-art facilities.