Country’s largest museum dedicated to Jain philosophy inaugurated 50 km from Pune
The mega circular structure has been constructed at a cost of ₹400 crore over a period of 10 years in collaboration with Jain scholars, thought leaders
Union minister for surface transport Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday inaugurated the ‘Abhay Prabhavana Museum’ – the largest museum of ideas dedicated to Jain philosophy and Indian heritage – at Parvadi village located around 50 kilometres from Pune. The mega circular structure has been constructed at a cost of ₹400 crore over a period of 10 years in collaboration with Jain scholars, thought leaders, artists and facilitators. ‘Abhay Prabhavana Museum’ has also been christened a knowledge centre created by the Firodia Institute of Philosophy, Culture and History (FIPCH), a division of Amar Prerana Trust (APT), under the guidance of Abhay Firodia, chairman, APT and founder, Abhay Prabhavana.
Lauding Firodia’s efforts, Gadkari said, “The museum is a testimony to the efforts undertaken by Abhay Firodia for creating a value-driven concept with social consciousness. The museum will continue to inspire the future generation seeking spiritual consciousness.”
Firodia said, “The museum stands as a tribute to the profound values of the Shraman and Jain tradition which form the core of India’s ethical and cultural philosophy since millenia.”
Abhay Prabhavana is a ‘museum of ideas’ which showcases the timeless values of Jainism from a scientific, logical, easy to understand and modern perspective. It highlights Jainism’s depth, diversity and crucial impact on the entire Indian value system.
The museum comprises five parts namely, path of timeless wisdom, path of Jain culture and history, path to happiness, eternal stream of Indic values, and open-air heritage walk. The path of timeless wisdom explores the journey from the dawn of civilisation to the scientific and logical foundations of Jainism through 15 special galleries. The path of Jain culture showcases the evolution and geographic spread of the Shraman and Jain philosophy through six exquisitely appointed galleries. The path to happiness reminds visitors to constantly strive for happiness, safety, security and prosperity for themselves, their family and society through six galleries. The eternal stream of Indic values is a free-flow single gallery showcasing intellectuals, teachers and enlightened individuals, primarily from India, who have significantly shaped the inclusive and compassionate social and ethical values of the Indian spiritual tradition. The open-air heritage walk is a serene Nature trail along the Indrayani River dotted with modern creations and exquisite replicas of stunning Jain sites. The heritage walk landscape has a 43-foot installation of the first Tirthankar Rishabhdev in a meditation pose which draws inspiration from the Art Deco style.
The museum is spread over 50 acres of land and is replete with hi-tech audio-visuals, animations, virtual reality, immersive experiences, interactive systems, and more than 350 specially created artworks, sculptures and grand replicas.