Google's Cultural Institute introduces over 2,000 new artifacts and 70 new exhibitions online

The Google Cultural Institute  has unveiled new online content in an ongoing effort to digitize and share the best of India’s heritage with the world. This includes material from 10 new partner institutions across the country such as the Salar Jung Museum, Victoria Memorial Hall Kolkata, Dastkari Haat Samiti, Devi Art Foundation, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, Kalakriti Archives, Heritage Transport Museum, Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres & Ashrams and the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. Over 2,000 new images and 70 virtual exhibits have been added to Google’s platform. The new collection showcases the country’s unique heritage, from ancient architecture to modern day contemporary art. The collection also includes 26 new virtual tours of sites such as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple and the royal saloon that once was part of the Palace on Wheels, which were captured using Google’s Street View. In an effort to make the content even more accessible, Dastkaari Haat Samiti, Devi Art Foundation, Heritage Transport Museum and Kalakriti Archives are launching mobile apps built by the Cultural Institute to showcase their exhibits. “Google is committed to preserving and breathing new life into cultural treasures around the world. It has been our privilege to help iconic Indian institutions bring their rich collections online using the power of technology. When technology, art and heritage come together, the results are truly fascinating,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google South East Asia and India. In addition, Dastkaari Haat Samiti, Kalakriti Archives, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute and Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams will use the Cultural Institute’s embedding technologies to deliver these virtual exhibits on their own websites. Amit Sood, Director of the Google Cultural Institute states, “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.”