The new National Museum structure in Delhi has a French influence

The largest museums in the world are located in London and Paris, respectively. But that might soon change. The largest museum in the world, the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum, will be located in New Delhi. Spread over 1.17 lakh square meters, the museum will be located in the North and South blocks in Raisina Hill in the national capital. The possession of the museum will likely be taken by the Ministry of Culture by March 2025. The current museum building on Janpath in New Delhi may be shut to researchers by the end of the year and the building may be demolished in March 2024. The National Museum, which houses artifacts from the prehistoric period to the contemporary era, represents over 5,000 years of Indian art and craftsmanship. A suitable space for storage of the museum objects is yet to be finalised. The current building was designed by architect Ganesh Bikaji Deolalikar and the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on May 12, 1955.

Yuge Yugeen Bharat is a Sanskrit phrase that means "everlasting India". Timelessness of India is the theme of the new building which will showcase the country’s heritage across eight segments. The museum will have 950 rooms across three storeys and a basement. India’s ancient town planning systems, the Vedas, Upanishads, ancient medical knowledge, and a number of empires, including Mauryan, Gupta, Vijayanagara and Mughal will be on display. In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and France had inked a partnership for the establishment of the new National Museum.

According to a report, the project will be spearheaded by the Agence France-Museums which involves thirteen French public cultural establishments, including the Musee’ de Louvre, Musee’ d’Orsay, Musee de l’orangerie and the Reunion des Musees Nationaux – Grand Palais among others. The retrofitting of a heritage building to accommodate the display, storage, and exhibition of various artefacts, like the Louvre Palace, will be applied to this project. "The new museum is aimed to be more interactive, and is expected to incorporate audiovisual elements and virtual walkthroughs", officials told.  The museum will also highlight India’s contributions to mathematics, science and technology. Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi has told the newspaper that the current National Museum building will become part of the Kartavya Path and the annexes of the Kartavya Path.