National Museum Opens Tactile Heritage Gallery for Visually Impaired Visitors in Delhi

An inclusive heritage gallery titled 'Heritage at My Fingertips' has opened at the National Museum in New Delhi, allowing visually impaired visitors to experience Indian history and architecture through touch and sound.

Developed by the non-profit organisation Saksham in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the National Museum, the gallery features 41 tactile 3D and 2D replicas of monuments and heritage structures. The exhibits are accompanied by Braille labels, large-print text, tactile floor maps, and audio descriptions.

The models span heritage sites from all 28 states and eight Union Territories, including Delhi's Qutub Minar, Jaipur's Hawa Mahal, the Golden Temple, and a recreated Sohrai art wall from Jharkhand, alongside representations from northeastern states such as Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur.

Curator Rige Shiba explained that the museum intentionally moved beyond famous landmarks to provide a broader representation of the country's heritage. Shiba added that while the exhibition specifically caters to people with visual impairment, it is open to all visitors to prevent segregation.

Rummi K Seth, managing founder trustee of Saksham, said the project took about two years of planning, with foundational ideas dating back 14 to 15 years through student experiments at the School of Planning and Architecture.

Visitors and educators have noted the impact of tactile learning. Avichal Bhatnagar, a visually impaired professor at Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Delhi University, noted that the combination of 3D models and Braille descriptions provides an experience that sight alone cannot always offer.

Following the opening of this gallery, the National Museum plans to expand tactile accessibility to other sections, including an upcoming tactile station with replicas and audio descriptions for its Harappan gallery.