College students to be guides at National Museum

To attract the younger generation, the National Museum here is Wednesday launching its first batch of trained college students who will take school children on an informative guided tour through the galleries.

The inaugural batch of Yuva Saathi volunteers comprises students of National Museum Institute (NMI) and undergraduates from five Delhi colleges - St Stephen's, Lady Sri Ram, Sri Venkateswara, Miranda House and Jesus and Mary.

"We thought college students would be a good choice as guides for school children at the museum. Communication will be free and fresh between generations that are closer by age," said Venu V., director-general, National Museum, in a statement.

"It will be education for both parties, kindling in them a fresh interest in history and heritage," he added.

The first batch of these 30 volunteers went through a three-month course and received training from curators, communication experts and art historians.

"The tour is of 60 minutes and the storyline is simple. Objects related to the curriculum have been included, but the interpretation will be light and entertaining," said Manvi Seth of the NMI, which has conceptualised the Yuva Saathi initiative.

The major highlights of the trail are the dancing girl of Mohenjodaro, a child learning the Brahmi alphabet from the Sunga period and a Gupta-era sculpture depicting Lakshman disfiguring Shoorpnakha, besides galleries of musical instruments and decorative arts.