Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya is working for national integration, and promotes research and training for salvage and revitalization of vanishing but valuable cultural traditions. The Director of British Museum, London Dr Neil MacGregor visited Manav Sangrahalaya. He met the alumnus of Leadership Training Programme (LTP) organised by British Musseum, London from IGRMS- Dr Soma kiro, Dr Sudipa Roy, Dr Surya Kumar Pandey, Dr P Shankar Rao and Dr Garima Anand. He was overwhelmed to meet them and said “They were outstanding participants and all of us at The British Museum not only remember them with affection, but hope that it will be possible to find a way of building on those bonds of friendship and work-out other areas of future of co-operation”. Dr MacGregor was accompanied by senior cultural expert Dr Mahrukh Tarapor.
Dr MacGregor was guided through various exhibitions by Prof Sarit Kumar Choudhuri (Director, IGRMS) and alumnus of LTP. He visited the traditional house ‘Kuchenemi’ of Chakhesang Naga Tribe, witnessed the traditional process of iron smelting by the Agaria tribe of Madhya Pradesh and saw the Buddhist prayer wheel ‘Mane’ and traditional kitchen of Ladakh ‘Chansa’. He also visited various galleries of Veethi Sankul. He liked the exhibitions on hunter-gatherer, pastoral and agriculture communities of India and loved the deities made up of grains. During the visit, Dr MacGregor spoke to Prof Choudhuri regarding future collaborative programmes.   
Interacting with the media, Dr MacGregor said “Manav Sangrahalaya is one of the best ethnographic museums in the world. I am delighted that I came here, it’s like we are looking at the heart of India. In my three decade long career I haven’t seen such beautiful and unique museum”. He further said “It is pleasure to be able to visit a few of the achievements of the IGRMS and to be able to admire the scope of its aims and the range of its embrace”.

Date: February 4, 2015