Museum notes C)A

61 TANTRA MUSEUM, New Delhi. Ground-floor plan I. Inquiry and reception; 2. Gallery; 3 . Temporary exhibits; 4. Library; j. Director’s room; 6 . Auditorium; 7. Toilets; 8. Canteen.

Tantra is derived from the Sanskrit root, tan, meaning to expand Tantra thus indicates all comprehensive knowledge or expansion of knowledge. Tantra has developed from very ancient times an atomic theory, a space-time relationship, astronomical observations, chem- ical formulae and a mathematical concept of the universe.

Founded in New Delhi in 1971 to promote study and research of the arts and sciences integrating the Tantra heritage of wisdom, and to relate this knowledge to present needs, this museum has formed the nucleus around which various educational, cultural and re- search activities will be carried on in a disci- plined and organized manner.

On a three-acre plot of land near the Jawa- harlal Nehru University with a panoramic view of hillocks against the backdrop of an expand- ing horizon, the architect, Mr A. P. Kavinde, has designed the building project which will

Il

house the museum’s art collection, now show- ing in different countries in Europe.

The concept behind the design of Tantra Museum is to work out a building system by the repeated use of a module in such a way as to create variation in the space relationship and to avoid regimental monotony, resulting in an environment which can infuse the com- munication between object and observer with an idea of activating receptivity of mind A circle has been introduced as a module. Ar the same time the repetition of the cirde is broken by the introduction oEthe straight line, making it a composite unit. It is based on the Tantra symbol called Siva-lingam or Salagrama- having circular shapes and topped with a dome-which represents the universe. The emphasis is on generating an environment where space is a liberating force. Efforts have been made to have smooth human as well as material traffic flows and also flexibility within the interior arrangement.

Ajit MOOKERJEE

Some points of view on museums of exact and aaatuuai sciences

A recent number o f Museuni ( VoLwne XXVI , No. 2, 1974)~ on ‘ Museum $Exact and Natural Sciences ’, rejected vari0u.r cotaceptions $ this ope o f museim. We have tried to erxourage discussion ota the subject s i m it is particularb relevant todq. The cotitributionr o f those who agreed to give us their opinion are published herezmder. However, the discussion remaìm open, and we shall be grateful for aty filrther contributioras on the sdyect.

A. J . Rose Director, Palais de la Découverte, Paris

The third mat1. Two interesting‘ articles have just.,agpeared in the review Museum published by Unesco. The authors, H. Auer’ and D. N. Omand,2 have both played an active and important part in running a big museum and directing its activities-thé former, the Deutsches Museum, Munich; the latter, the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto.

The Deutsches Museum is one of the oldest science museums and the Ontario Science Centre one of the ’youngest. The two are comparable in respect of size and resources. However, there is a certain difference in approach to the application of the methods

employed by museums in order to attain the aims they pursue today.

These aims are the same for all museums, whether they specialize in science, art, or any other field Besides bringing the visitor cultural enrichment in the form of information, mu- seums also have the supremely important task of helping him acquire a certain way of thinking, stirring him to intellectual effort, encouraging the development of his faculties of observation and judgement, demonstrating to him the importance of the spirit of inquiry and communicating to hima taste for creativity.

‘If you give me a hsh when I am hungry I

I . Hermann Auer, ‘M[useums of the Natural and Exact

2. Douglas N. Omand, ‘The Ontario Science Centre, Sciences’, Mimxm, Vol. XXVI, No. z, 1974. p. 68-75

Toronto’, MUSGNIII. Vol. XXVI, No. 2, 1974~ p. 76-81.