Ministry of Culture and Google Cultural Institute unveil new arts exhibitions and panoramic imagery of heritage sites online
● Imagery of 76 new heritage sites now online, including Safdarjung Tomb, Ellora Caves, and Purana Quila
● 30 new online exhibitions unveiled on the Google Cultural Institute from the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, and more
● Launch brings number of ASI heritage sites on Google to over 100 locations, including Taj Mahal
Bangalore, July 31, 2014: Starting today, people around the world will be able to virtually explore over 1400 cultural objects from India on the Google Cultural Institute, including new panoramic imagery of 76 heritage sites, and 30 new immersive exhibitions of arts and historical institutions from across India.
With the support of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Google is releasing new 360-degree online imagery of 76 iconic historical sites, including the Safdarjung Tomb, Ellora Caves, and Purana Quila. These immersive panoramas, collected using Street View technology, are available for viewing on the Google Cultural Institute site. This launch of 76 new ASI sites brings the number of ASI locations now online to over 100, including the heritage sites that launched in February 2014 such as the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb.
In addition, several arts and archival institutions will also be unveiling new exhibitions on the Google Cultural Institute. For the first time ever, the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Daricha Foundation, Parzor Foundation, and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research will be coming onto the Google Cultural Institute and unveiling immersive online exhibitions of their collections, which include treasured photographs, prints, and paintings. Five institutions who are already on the Google Cultural Institute will be launching new content today, and these are: Delhi’s National Museum, Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Archive of Indian Music, Jana Natya Manch, and of course the ASI. These exhibits are all online and available to anyone around the world for free.
“Today, this partnership with Google makes it possible for billions of people across the world to see and explore India’s magnificent heritage, to take a walk at the Padmini Palace, to marvel at the Buddhist Caves of Baba-Pyara, and to relive history in Kangra Fort. With the release of this set of panoramic images, we aim to create a dynamic, immersive online experience by which people within India and around the world can appreciate more of India’s diverse cultural heritage,” said Honourable Union Minister of Culture Shri Shripad Naik.
“Google is deeply committed to helping preserve and showcase cultural heritage across the world. India is unique in terms of the her sheer wealth of heritage and iconic historical monuments, and it has been our privilege to work with the ASI and these partners to bring such diverse aspects of India’s culture online for people at home and abroad,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google India.
“I would like to thank all our partners. The mission of the Cultural Institute is to make the world’s heritage accessible for global audiences and to preserve it digitally for generations to come,” said Amit Sood, Director of the Google Cultural Institute. “By putting online more imagery from India’s most iconic sites, we hope to invite more people from around the world to learn more about the fascinating world of Indian culture, history, and art. ”
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