National Archives of India Celebrates 135th Foundation Day with ‘Indian Heritage through Architecture’ Exhibition

New Delhi: The National Archives of India (NAI) marked its 135th Foundation Day with the inauguration of a special exhibition titled “Indian Heritage through Architecture.” The exhibition, inaugurated by Union Minister of Culture & Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, highlights India’s architectural legacy spanning thousands of years.

The exhibition offers a deep dive into India’s rich and diverse architectural traditions, from the Indus Valley Civilization to medieval temples, Mughal monuments, and colonial-era structures. It categorizes heritage sites into thematic clusters, providing a structured and insightful exploration of their historical, cultural, and spiritual significance. Visitors also had the opportunity to view original archival documents, including official government files, private papers of eminent personalities, archaeological excavation records, UNESCO documents, and rare books from the NAI Library.

During his inaugural address, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat commended NAI for its role in conserving India’s documentary heritage. He emphasized that the institution is undertaking the world’s largest digitization program, processing over six lakh pages every month. Inspired by the success of this initiative, the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ has been launched to expand access to India’s vast repository of knowledge.

To commemorate the occasion, NAI also released a book titled ‘Thumb Printed: Champaran, Indigo Peasants Speak to Gandhi – Volume III’. This volume presents 423 testimonies from the Champaran Satyagraha, including those of five women and 11 minors. The testimonies offer a rare, firsthand account of the struggles faced by indigo farmers during Mahatma Gandhi’s first major civil disobedience movement in India.

Established on March 11, 1891, in Kolkata, the National Archives of India was originally known as the Imperial Record Department. It was relocated to New Delhi in 1911, with the present NAI building, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, being completed in 1926. Today, NAI serves as the nodal agency for implementing the Public Records Act, 1993, and the Public Record Rules, 1997.

NAI’s vast repository includes over 34 crore pages of Public Records, covering files, maps, treaties, rare manuscripts, parliamentary debates, censuses, travel accounts, proscribed literature, and government gazettes. The archives also house an extensive collection of Sanskrit, Persian, Odia, and other language manuscripts.

The 135th Foundation Day celebrations reaffirmed NAI’s commitment to archival conservation, public engagement, and research. As the institution continues to embrace digital transformation, it remains steadfast in its mission to preserve India’s historical records for future generations while making them more accessible to scholars and the public alike.