Kolkata: Victoria Memorial Hall (VMH) is all set to open a lactation room on March 13, as an extension of observance of International Women's Day. The room will be located adjacent to the Entrance Hall of the VMH where nursing mothers can take rest in a private space while breastfeeding their children.
"We are constantly taking steps to make the museum more inclusive and friendlier to people with various challenges. We have been undertaking a major renovation of VMH and have recently recalibrated the galleries that have freed up some space. The mother and child room will be a large one with sofas inside it to provide some private space. It was long overdue considering the fact that VMH is one of the most visited museums in India," said Jayanta Sengupta, curator and secretary of VMH.
The total footfall at VMH in 2019 was 37.92 lakhs among which 27 lakh people visited the galleries inside the memorial. The VMH has already arranged free entry for the differently-abled people who can furnish the Unique Disability Identity Card.
It has also reduced the entry fees for SAARC nationals to attract more people from these countries. The fee of Rs 500 per head was slashed to Rs 100 with effect from March 1, 2019. On an average 90,000 foreigners visit the VMH every year and a majority of them are from SAARC nations that include Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Earlier, as the Director-in-Charge of Indian Museum Sengupta had opened a similar lactation room there in May 2017. The VMH authorities on March 13 will also inaugurate its latest 'Object-of-the-Month' exhibition, a Rajput miniature of Rani Padmini (Padmavati) binding a 'turban' on her head, surrounded by her companions.
The painting, just out of the reserves of the museum, will be displayed in Prince Hall on the southern side of the museum.