Kolkata: Coins of the Gupta dynasty were first found in Kalighat area of Kolkata. But, the City of Joy no longer has these ancient coins. Some of these have found place in the Bharat Kala Kendra in Varanasi, 24 coins travelled to the British Museum in London and the rest to other countries.
A huge crowd gathered at the Indian Museum to learn about the journey of the Gupta dynasty coins from Prof. Sushmita Basu Majumdar, head of the department of ancient Indian history and culture, University of Calcutta (CU). Indian Museum holds weekly talk series named, 'Tuesday Tales: Myths, Memories and Masterpieces'. This Tuesday, Prof. Majumdar discussed about the history of coins.
Journey from mint to museum:
According to Prof. Majumdar, not all coins that are made in the mint find a place in the museum as some land up at with the numismatists.
She told ETV Bharat, "If there are coins in the museum, many people and researchers can see it. Again, if coins are with numismatists then it increases enthusiasm among people." She then went on to share the history behind recovery of Gupta period coins from Kalighat.
History of Gupta dynasty coins
Prof. Majumdar said more than 200 coins were found from a plot of land owned by Nabakrishna Dev in Kolkata. These coins were handed over to the then Governor Warren Hastings. Later, Warren Hastings sent 172 coins to London and kept a handful of 30 coins with him. He later distributed these coins as gifts. In this way, coins travelled to Varanasi's Bharat Kala Kendra. Varanasi is the only place in the country that has coins from the Gupta period. At the time when the coins were found, it was not understood that those belonged to the Gupta Empire.
Coins have their own story
Students, who had gathered at Indian Museum were impressed by seeing coins that they have read in books in front of their eyes. Among them, artists Naiya and Soumyadeep Mitra said, "Reading something in a book is one thing but when you actually see that is makes it easy to understand."
The professor explained various things associated with coins while walking around the coin gallery. Students were seen listening attentively to her along with taking notes.
New initiative of Indian Museum
Sian Bhattacharya, deputy director of Indian Museum, said, "In Tuesday Tales: Myths, Memories and Masterpieces - a weekly talk series, we discuss fascinating stories of historical treasures, art and culture. This week, Prof. Sushmita Basu Majumdar discussed 'The Journey of Coins: From Mint to Museum'. This has helped students to get an experience of what they are studying."
He further explained that this new gallery talk series is receiving a good response. Every time, 7,000 to 8,000 people come to the Indian Museum to listen to gallery talks. "There is a lot of interest especially among school and college students. Coins are not just read about in the pages of books but here, coins are also talking," he added.
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