Before the year ends, New Delhi is about to welcome a cultural landmark! The historic North Block on Raisina Hill, the seat of the central government, will host the opening of the first gallery of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum. Converting what was formerly the administrative hub of India into an exhibition of its civilizational journey, the North and South Blocks will eventually house the world's largest museum. Thirty themed galleries, showcasing eighty thousand to one hundred thousand artefacts from throughout the nation, will be presented over the next three years. The museum is central to the redevelopment of Central Vista. It is a significant change to the city's layout, as it transforms some of India's most famous governmental buildings into centres of public culture and education.
The biggest museum in the world is coming to India
Located on Raisina Hill, the museum will take up an impressive 1.55 lakh square meters of the ancient North and South Blocks. At least thirty themed galleries, with a combination of indoor exhibition rooms, open courtyards, and outdoor display places, will be housed in the complex, according to the Ministry of Culture.
The collection's size is truly remarkable. As more galleries open, the number of artefacts planned to be displayed by the ministry is expected to increase from 25,000 to around 1 lakh. These artefacts have been acquired from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as well as the National Museum and other state organizations.
Why Delhi welcomes this museum with pomp and show!
Once the museum is fully open, officials anticipate an annual visitor count of approximately 10 million. A potential cultural corridor might be created by connecting the two blocks via an underground tunnel, and there are also accessible routes for those with impairments. Once completed, the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum will offer an immersive experience of India's rich heritage and history, surpassing even the size of the Louvre. It has all the makings of a legendary landmark for tourists and locals alike interested in Delhi's rich cultural heritage. This will make it not just one of the best museums in Delhi, but also India!
What can you look forward to at the Yuge Yugeen Museum?
Among the most remarkable artefacts found here are an Indus Valley ceramic hourglass from 2500–1750 BCE, a piece of a Mauryan edict pillar from 3rd century BCE, a Surya sculpture from the Gupta period from the 5th century CE, the Konark Sun Wheel from the 13th century CE, and a Nataraja bronze from the Chola period from the 10th–11th century CE. To maintain high standards, the ministry is collaborating with expert advisors to adhere to UNESCO and the International Council of Museums' museological principles.
What makes the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum so special
Over 80,000 square meters will be devoted to exhibits within the museum's overall 1.55 lakh square meters of space. Objects on display will span five thousand years, from the Indus Valley Civilization to the present day, and will come from museums across India, including those run by the national, state, and ASI organisations.
The "adaptive reuse" of the South and North Blocks is a key component of the project. Careful renovations are underway at these historic structures, which date back to the early 20th century. Preservation of the Raisina Hill Museum's historic architecture will preserve its exterior. However, the interior is being renovated to accommodate current museum needs, such as climate-controlled areas and state-of-the-art conservation facilities.
Several government ministries moved to new office buildings, which allowed for the transformation to happen. The museum will have auditoriums, a library, conservation labs, and exhibition spaces. To facilitate better traffic flow for visitors and establish a continuous "cultural corridor" through the centre of the city, planners are contemplating the construction of an underground tunnel to link the two blocks.
A prominent multinational partnership is developing the museum. The National Museum in Washington, DC, and France Muséums Développement inked a technical collaboration agreement toward the end of 2024. The goal of this collaboration is to improve the museum's curatorial strategy and exhibition design by using international best practices.
Acclaimed Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast is the principal designer and leads the design team headed by Arcop Associates. Famous projects that Yantrasast has worked on include the Louvre in Paris and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. His participation is anticipated to assist the museum in harmonising its enormous physical dimensions with intricate, engaging visitor experiences that adhere to modern, worldwide norms while honouring the structures' historical significance.
Delhi set to welcome the first gallery in late 2026
The first gallery will open later in 2026 and will give visitors a taste of the museum's goals, according to Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal. About a hundred important artefacts that demonstrate the breadth and depth of Indian philosophy and culture will be part of it. On his official YouTube page, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously posted an illustrated film highlighting the main attractions of the forthcoming biggest museum in the world.