New galleries at museum disappoint many visitors

BHUBANESWAR: Two new galleries on pattachitra and textiles inaugurated at the Odisha State Museum here have very little to offer visitors and ended up disappointing many.
Only a few exhibits with little historical or artistic value are on display. Authorities said the galleries were constructed in a hurry.
"I read about the new galleries inaugurated in the newspaper and came to visit them with my children as the summer vacation is on, but was very disappointed as there is absolutely nothing on display at these galleries.Only a few Sambalpuri sarees without any proper description or any information about the rich handlooms of Odisha are there in the gallery," said Niharika Samantray, a school teacher.
The two galleries inaugurated last week have only about two dozen exhibits. The pattachitra paintings, a traditional painting of Odisha, depict mythological episodes and popular legends, but there are no descriptions leading to outsiders getting confused.
"I could not understand the meaning of 'kandarpa' written under a painting in English. Since there was no further description, I asked the person sitting there but he said he did not know," said Satish Singh, a visitor from Bihar. "There is no point in having artifacts in the museum if people are unable to understand what they are," he added.
Superintendent (in charge) of the museum Sushil Das said, "Money has been sanctioned and the descriptions will be written soon."
Curator of the museum Suchismita Mantry said, "Both the galleries were inaugurated in a hurry. We did not get much time to properly display the artifacts. Though we have enough items, they are in the store room and we have plans to make the displays more informative."