Time travel to a spiritual past, with Darshan Museum

Within its maze-like enclosure divided into eight zones, all with different formats, it encapsulates the journey of poet-saint, Sadhu Vaswani, from his childhood to youth and to his eventual quietus.

Unlike typical museums that showcase relics of the past through sealed glass panels distanced from their curious admirers, Darshan Museum brings the past alive by escorting you into a maze of stories of the bygone era circling around the life of Sadhu T L Vaswani.

The museum, situated near Camp, is said to be one-of-a-kind in Maharashtra and is one of the rarest in India.(HT PHOTO)

Believing in the time-machine effect, the light and sound museum, with technologies including 3D holographics, advanced show automation, fully HD video and sophisticated acoustics and lighting, breathes life into a space that can transport you to the pre-Independence era. Its elaborate and intricate sets and mannequins add to the effect and guides you from Sind to Kolkata, Europe, Punjab and then back to Maharashtra, all within its 10,000 sq ft boundary at the Sadhu Vaswani Mission Campus.

Within its maze-like enclosure divided into eight zones, all with different formats, it encapsulates the journey of poet-saint, Sadhu Vaswani, from his childhood to youth and to his eventual quietus. Narrating short incidents of his life, the museum literally walks you through the all phases of his life, from his innocent realisation to adopt vegetarianism, to his fervent spirit to contribute to the national awakening during Independence and eventually, his awakened self-emanating spiritual bounty to his followers, all within a period of 90-minutes. It unfolds every detail of the founder’s spiritual awakening, initiatives and teachings, especially at the final segment which introduces visitors to the Noori Granth, which is a collections of songs and hymns by the poet-saint.

The museum, situated near Camp, is said to be one-of-a-kind in Maharashtra and is one of the rarest in India. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2011 by actor Aamir Khan, on the 93rd birthday of Dada JP Vaswani. Free for all visitors, the museum runs a show from 9 am to 6 pm, in both English and Hindi.

Where: Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Camp

Time: 9 am to 6 pm, all days of the week, except Thursday

Entry: Free