The Government Museum and Art Gallery in Sector 10 has seen a steady decline in visitor footfall over the past decade, exposing glaring administrative gaps – including the absence of a regular director for more than 20 years, abolition of key posts such as curator and laboratory assistants, and a lack of upgradation and curation of art effects.
The museum recorded its highest footfall in 2016, with 1,55,568 visitors. Since then, the numbers have gradually fallen. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, annual footfall hovered around 1.4 lakh. However, after 2022, the figures have failed to cross 1.2 lakh. In 2023, the museum recorded 1,15,236 visitors; the number dropped to 99,875 in 2024 and marginally rose to 1,13,187 in 2025.
Established after Partition, the museum received nearly 40% of its collections from the Central Museum, Lahore. Designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, the museum houses 627 Gandhara art sculptures dating from the 1st century BCE to the 7th century CE, 4,000 Indian miniature paintings, around 200 medieval sculptures, and an extensive collection of Indian gold, silver and copper coins, etc.
Despite the drop in footfall, no significant efforts appear to have been taken by the department of culture to revive public interest. The museum has functioned without a full-time regular director for over two decades. The charge has been assigned intermittently to an HCS officer lacking domain expertise in museum studies, art history or cultural conservation. Several sanctioned posts, including that of curator, have reportedly been abolished over the years.
A major attraction on the campus – a rooftop cafe atop the architect museum building – has remained closed for years. Earlier operated by CITCO, the space now lies vacant despite its prime location and panoramic views.
Diwan Manna, a member of the museum advisory committee, said the decline in footfall can be attributed to two main factors: the absence of a culture of museum visits and the lack of initiatives to keep the museum engaging. “A lot of things need to be done to attract an audience, like a children’s corner, souvenir shop, food court and better curation of art works. Key posts are vacant, there is no regular director for years, and even the rooftop cafe is non-functional. Interference by the heritage committee also affects functioning,” he added.
Former director of the Le Corbusier Centre and the architect museum, Deepika Gandhi, said the museum lacks a clear vision to connect with the larger part of the society. “A robust outreach programme, curated events, professional hiring and active acquisition of artworks are essential. The heritage committee’s concerns are limited to the museum building, nothing is stopping the administration from running it efficiently,” she said.
Digital and academic stagnation
The museum’s official website remains outdated, with the last listed event dating back to 2019. No major publication, research material or updated catalogue has reportedly been released in the past two decades. The latest general guidebook on collections, sections, infrastructure, and activities was published in 2003. Key publications by Dr MS Randhawa and Dr DC Bhattacharya date back to the 1980s.
Visitors also point to the absence of audio guides to explain exhibits and provide context to visitors. Critics alleged that the museum acquisition committee has not undertaken any critical acquisitions of art effects.
Aashna Gakhar, an architect and city resident, said, “I have been visiting the museum since childhood. Nothing has changed. The museum needs better advertising, outreach programmes, technology integration via audio guides and QR codes, and more frequent events.”
Director Isha Kamboj said efforts are underway to improve outreach. “We are engaging audiences through social media and hosting multiple exhibitions and events. A detailed project report for the museum’s upgrade has been sent to the ministry of culture for approval. A proposal to revive abolished posts has also been submitted. We have floated tenders for the rooftop cafe four times without success. We may consider lowering the rent or seeking relaxation from the heritage committee if required,” she said.
