Mumbai, 29th September, 2022: Embassy Group, one of India’s leading real estate developers, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT). The partnership supports the preservation of culture and heritage by supporting the Partition Museum and curating a gallery dedicated to the lost homeland of Sindh in partnership with Sindhi Culture Foundation at the Dara Shikoh Library Building, Delhi.
The project is split into two components – a unique gallery dedicated to the Sindhi community that lost their homeland during the Partition of India in 1947, and an illumination element of the Partition Museum under the Government of India Project, “Adopt a Heritage” to enhance the tourism experience of all travellers.
The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TAACHT) set up the world’s first Partition Museum at the Town Hall, Amritsar, in 2017 on the 70th anniversary of India’s Independence and Partition. In 2021, TAACHT began setting up the Partition Museum at the Dara Shikoh Library Building in old Delhi and it is scheduled to be completed this year, the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence and Partition.
Speaking of the project, Kishwar Desai, Chair, TAACHT, said, “We are extremely thankful to Embassy Group and Sindhi Culture Foundation for their support and contribution. The significant approach will ensure conservation and preservation of the heritage assets. I am happy to share that we have joined hands to create “The Lost Homeland of Sindh”, and I look forward to working together. The support of the building illumination is very welcome as well. This opportunity will further enable the level of involvement and support from the community.“
Jitu Virwani, Chairman and Managing Director of Embassy Group, added, “My family was a part of those who were displaced during the partition of India. I believe every family that lived through the partition has inherited a sense of loss, be it of a loved one, their home, or their identity. I am honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate with TAACHT and Sindhi Culture Foundation, to preserve and showcase the rich heritage of The Lost Homeland of Sindh, that will serve as an homage to the resilient spirit of the Sindhi Community for generations to come.”
Aruna Madnani, Founder and Managing Trustee Sindhi Culture Foundation, said “ The strongest memory of the 12,00,000 displaced Sindhis during partition is the memories of home, the loss of home and the longing for home which they can never see again. We envision this exhibit will reach out to them and the generations that followed hearing these stories. Embassy’s initiative to take a step towards the preservation of culture and heritage is encouraging, and I hope other corporates will also try and inculcate such efforts within their CSR.”
Community engagement is one of the most significant ways to support the conservation of heritage buildings. This opportunity reflects how corporates can come together and use their experience of working with communities and decision-makers to manage our local heritage, cultures, and historical sites. It will additionally assist in encouraging involvement and support from the community for the preservation of heritage buildings.
