Ancient mummy at museum

A unique exhibition that combines the latest advances in technology with some of mankind’s oldest secrets is now offering Mumbaiites a peek inside an Egyptian mummy.

A unique exhibition that combines the latest advances in technology with some of mankind’s oldest secrets is now offering Mumbaiites a peek inside an Egyptian mummy.

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The travelling exhibition, titled Mummy: The Inside Story, will be on display at Colaba’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) for four months, starting Wednesday (November 21).

The exhibition showcases the 3,000-year-old mummy and coffin of Nesperennub, an ancient Egyptian temple priest, alongside other Egyptian mummies, idols and religious artefacts.

All exhibits are owned by the London-based British Museum, which has brought the unique show to Mumbai in collaboration with CSMVS.

The highlight of the exhibition is a 20-minute 3D film — screened every half hour from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm, alternately in English and Hindi — which explores the inner layers of Nesperennub’s mummy using advanced x-ray and CT-scanning techniques.

“Previously, we had to physically unravel a mummy in order to explore it, but with this technology, we can look inside while leaving the mummy intact,” said Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, speaking at the inauguration of the exhibition, on Tuesday.

Over the next four months, the museum will also conduct workshops for adults and children on various topics related to ancient Egypt.

“Egyptian mummies have been a subject of intense curiosity around the world, so this exhibition will be very interesting for Mumbai visitors,” Kumari Selja, union minister for social justice and empowerment, said at the inauguration.