Visitors who step into the rotunda section of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) are bound to discover an instant imagery of life in the Harappan civilisation, thanks to the replica tableau of the model town of Dholavira ((3000 to 1500 BCE). It sufficiently piques the imagination to tread into further mystique and exploration in the main section of the Networks of the Past gallery, which teleports one to the ancient worlds of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, the Mediterranean, and China. This ongoing collaborative effort has ensured that over 250 objects are on display for three years, from leading museums across India and the world.

Fabricators matter: Examples of complex placement of differently-shaped objects. Fabricators play a key role in painting, fabric-making, and creating partitions for each section. “All of it has to be approved internationally, and had to be stable enough to meet certain standards as set by the museums internationally,” explains Ramesh