Amsterdam, 5 April 2013
After a decade of works, the National Museum in Holland is to reopen on 13 April 2013. On the occasion, Indians ask for one space devoted exclusively to Indian art.
Raja Zed, an Indian politician and President of the Universal Society of Hinduism stated that “it would be a step in the good direction. Starting a dialogue in the common effort to bring peace, confidence and coherence in the global community would help to fight misunderstandings.” He explained that Hinduism has a long and rich tradition and Sanskrit literature is full of paintings, engravings and other forms of art. He added that Indian heritage should be shared with the rest of the world. The Rijksmuseum should also organise more often exhibitions encompassing Indian art. The museum owns a vast collection of Indian artifacts, including sculptures, paintings and photographs of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Durga, Hanuman, Indra, Yama; some of these depictions date from the 21st century BC.
In the heart of the museum, there is a gallery of honour devoted to masterpieces from all around the world, including works by Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Jan Steen and Vermeer. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, that abdicated in January 2013 leaving the throne to her son, will attend the official reopening of the Rijksmuseum.