History in a state of ruins: Bapu Museum in Vijayawada

Bapu Museum (previously knows as Victoria Jubilee Museum) was built in the late 19th century.

Right when you enter what is now called Bapu Museum on MG Road (previously called Victoria Jubilee Museum), you will notice a proud inscription detailing the significance of the place. The foundation to the building was laid by then collector of Krishna district, Robert Sewell, to commemorate the golden jubilee celebration of the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1887. Built in ashlar masonry typical of Indo-European architecture, the building is over 132 years old. It was used as Victoria Technical Institute from 1887.

In 1921, when the Indian independence movement was in full swing, it was here that Pingali Venkayya presented the the tri-colour flag to M. K. Gandhi who later added the Ashoka Chakra as a modification to it.

It was also here that the Andhra University was founded before being shifted to its current establishment in Vishakapatnam.

Statue of Buddha lying in concrete dust in Bapu Museum

The Archeology Department took over the building to convert it into a musuem in 1962. The museum is famous for its collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures and relics, few of them as old as 2nd and 3rd century.

Given its celebrated history and its significance, the current state of affairs is overwhelmingly disappointing to say the least. The museum had been closed for 3–4 years now for ‘renovation’. As per news reports, these renovations include being “upgraded to international standards with the introduction of LED projectors, 3D technology and the installation of CCTVs.” The museum was renamed to honour the legendary cartoonist and director Bapu (Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana) in 2015.

While the guard told me they closed it to fix air conditioners and what not, he let me in when I told him I wanted to look at the heritage building and not go inside the building. Well, one didn’t really have to go inside the building premises to see the relics as they were all lying in dust and dirt all around the premises.

The dichotomy of cultural pride and lack of efforts to conserve it or even respect it baffles me. We’re easy to diss on vandalism by public on heritage structures and rightly so. Of course, let’s not be naive to think that this is an isolated situation. But I think it is time we call out this state-led vandalism (while also managing to spend crores of rupees on it) on what is left of our cultural heritage that we claim to be proud of.