Michelle Obama to walk through 5,000 years of Indian crafts, culture

NEW DELHI - US First Lady Michelle Obama will get a glimpse of 5,000 years of Indian handicrafts, culture, heritage and civilisation when she visits the National Handicrafts and Handloom Museum Monday morning.

She will also be treated to Baul songs and folk performances.

According to an official, Michelle is to visit the museum 9-11 a.m.

“We are looking forward to Michelle Obama’s visit. She is expected to visit the museum between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The museum has been taken over by security forces. It will be sanitized by 8 a.m., when the cleaners and staff will have to leave the premises to make way for security personnel accompanying the first lady,” a senior official of the crafts museum told IANS.

The museum adjoins Pragati Maidan and is close to the ancient Bhairon Nath Temple.

“We will mount a special display of Indian art history for the benefit of the US first lady. Throughout the day, we were busy laying out the gallery,” the official said.

The museum has conceived a cultural showcase for Michelle Obama that will include a Baul soiree, folk performances and also an eight-minute documentary.

According to the director of the museum, Ruchira Ghosh, “the visit will boost the museum’s image”.

The musuem serves as a confluence of arts, crafts and culture. The highlight of the museum is an ethnic village complex spread across five acres. It has 15 structures - mostly homes and temples from the states of India showcasing ethnic lifestyles. The museum, designed by architect Charles Correa, has nearly 20,000 exhibits of heritage and cultural value.

The gallery, which is closed on Mondays, will remain open for the US first lady.