LG Sinha chairs meet; Board approves DG post, corpus fund; website launched
RK News Service
Jammu, May 21: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the establishment of a state-of-the-art International Museum of Goddess at Katra, attended by members of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) including Mahamandleshwar Swami Vishveshvaranand Giriji Maharaj, Baleshwar Rai, Dr Ashok Bhan, Sudha Murty, Gunjan Rana, Dr K.K. Talwar, Kulbhushan Ahuja, Lalit Bhasin, and Suresh Kumar Sharma.
During the deliberations, Board members and other stakeholders shared valuable insights and suggestions for the creation of a world-class spiritual and cultural landmark. The proposed museum aims to offer pilgrims a deeper understanding of Mata Shakti by seamlessly blending immersive storytelling, artefacts, and rich local traditions with cutting-edge modern technology.
The state-of-the-art institution will showcase the sacred iconography of 51 Shakti Peethas alongside the nine divine Swaroops of Maa Durga. The museum shall serve as a spiritual sanctuary and a premier centre of knowledge, with an integrated library and research centre playing a pivotal role in awakening the young generation to the rich cultural, traditional, and spiritual values of the Shaktipeeths and the region.
The Board approved the creation of a permanent post for a Director General, who will head the International Museum of Goddess alongside a dedicated team of experts and officials. Furthermore, the Board granted approval for a dedicated corpus of funds to seamlessly drive the conceptualisation, development, and operations of the prestigious project.
The Lieutenant Governor suggested deputing a team of experts to visit the various sacred Shaktipeeths to be featured in the museum. The Board also resolved to appoint a specialised consultant to spearhead detailed research and architectural conceptualisation.
Progress Update
The CEO of the Shrine Board briefed the meeting on steps taken so far, including the launch of a dedicated website to invite suggestions from across the globe, study visits by teams to existing premier museums across the country, and the identification of leading domain experts to bring the grand vision to fruition.
The meeting was also attended by Padma Shri Prof. Vishwa Murti Shastri; Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari; Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar; Vice-Chancellor University of Jammu Prof Umesh Rai; Vice-Chancellor Cluster University of Jammu Prof K.S. Chandrasekar; CEO SMVDSB Sachin Kumar Vaishya; Additional CEO Alok Maurya; IGNCA Regional Director Shruti Awasthi; Central Sanskrit University Director Prof Satish Kumar Kapoor; Sanskrit Scholar Dr Chander Mouli Raina; and senior officials.