The British Museum in London and the Grand Louvre in Paris are among the world's largest institutions. Each museum is approximately 70,000 square feet and contains millions of objects.
The Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum in New Delhi may change this in the future, as India and France work together to construct it.
According to officials, this new museum will encompass a colossal 1,170,000 square feet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaimed during the inauguration of the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre complex in Delhi that the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will soon become the world's largest museum.
The Prime Minister had published a virtual tour of the museum in May, and its construction was mentioned in the joint statement following Modi's July visit to France.
The Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum will consist of eight distinct thematic zones.
It seeks to highlight the historical events, figures, concepts, and accomplishments that have influenced India's past and contributed to its present. As stated by officials, the museum will tell the tale of India's civilization over 5,000 years, symbolising its "perennial" nature.
Although completion of the project is anticipated by 2026, no specific deadline has yet been established. According to sources, the museum will be housed in the North and South Block, which are presently office buildings and will require time to be converted into visitor-friendly spaces.
The Culture Ministry will determine the ultimate design of the new museum once they have completed their work on the theme and content.
As part of the Central Vista project, construction will commence once the ministries and Prime Minister's Office are relocated from North Block and South Block.
The current National Museum on Janpath will be supplanted by government offices, and the museum's collection will be relocated to the new building.
France will lend India its expertise in significant cultural projects, according to French officials.
To accommodate the display, storage, and exhibition of various artefacts, the project will entail retrofitting a historic structure in a manner comparable to the Louvre Palace.
According to officials, the new museum will integrate audiovisual elements and virtual walkthroughs to make it more interactive.
Bimal Patel, the architect of the Central Vista redevelopment, emphasised the symbolic significance of the new national museum project during a discussion at CEPT University in October 2021.
He emphasised that by transforming the use and significance of the space, they are reshaping the iconography of power that the British established during the Raj era.
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