Rare and original records and archival images, ranging from 14th century Firoz Shah Tughlaq reign to transformative post-colonial India of the 1950s, are on display here at a month-long exhibition that was kicked off today as part of the National Archives' 125th foundation day.
The event is part of the commemorative celebrations of the historic institution that began its journey on this day as the Imperial Record Department in 1891 from Calcutta (now Kolkata).
Among the Oriental records on display at the exhibition 'Treasure of National Archives', is a 1352 era record, the oldest record in print with the NAI, pertaining to Tughlaq, the feisty Sultan of Delhi.
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Another rare and topical record is a 1912 colour-coded map of Delhi depicting land acquisition proposals for creation of the new imperial capital.
And with the Land Acquisition Bill hogging headlines, the map titled 'Delhi & Vicinity' and printed in multiple hues, displays the regions acquired under the Land Acquisition Act 1894 for planing the new capital city, the cantonment, civil lines, development and firm areas.
From post-Independence period is the original letter sent by S C Sen requesting a change in the name of the Imperial Record Department to National Archives of India (NAI), the name that it still carries today.
Other rare documents include first President Rajendra Prasad's 32-page bilingual (Anglo-French) passport, bearing the number "1863" and issued to him at New Delhi on 3rd October, 1947. The national leader became India's first President on 26th January 1950.
His national status reads "Indian British Subject by birth" and has been issued by the "Empire of India".
Repository of some of the oldest and rarest records pertaining to the country, this month-long exhibition threw open the Archives' year-long calendar of activities that will culminate on March 11 next year.
"We have pulled out the rarest of the gems from our archival chest of treasure and quite sure they are delighting people as they are getting a chance to lay their eyes on such rare documents and images," a senior official of the NAI's Exhibition Unit told PTI.
Among the priceless documents are some of the historic letters, correspondences and records associated with events such as the one informing about the execution of revolutionary Mangal Pandey (1857), demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1839), death of Napoleon Bonaparte (1839).
Also on display is a rare coloured images of the Red Fort (captioned 'King's palace), map of Delhi Province, history sheet of Annie Besant, among others.
The Imperial Record Department was later moved to New Delhi post the shifting of the imperial capital to Delhi in 1911. The present building of NAI was constructed in 1926 and the transfer of all records was completed in 1937.
