The Story of a Sikh Museum: Heritage, Politics, Popular Culture

A pioneering study on Sikh museums, a unique phenomenon of contemporary India--for their sheer numbers, distinctive display, malleability and presence in multiple cultural spheres and their political significance. This case study of Bhai Mati Das Museum at Gurdwara Sisganj, Delhi, examines the process of creation of Sikh heritage through history paintings and museums, unearths the networks of patronage which finance these, and analyses the ways in which specific versions of the Sikh past are used to make present-day claims. It is based on interviews with artists and patrons, material from personal and institutional archives, a visual analysis of Sikh popular art and a critical examination of the museum’s narrative. This book brings together Sikh history, popular art, politics and museums, to discuss some of the most important current debates (of nation, identity and heritage) and reveals new ways in which we may understand museums, especially in a non-Western context.