Swarnprastha Museum: Echoes of past return to Sonepat
Museum being developed in British-era tehsil office building located at Kot Mohalla
Sonepat, historically known as Swarnprastha which is one of the ancient cities, is set to get its first museum soon. The decoration and installation of artefacts are in the final stages and the Swarnprastha Museum will be opened to the public after completion. The project is being carried out by the Society for Development and Beautification of Sonepat Town (SDBST).
The museum is being developed in a British-era tehsil office building located at Kot Mohalla. The structure was earlier in a dilapidated condition and parts of the complex had been encroached upon by nearby residents.
“The SDBST was constituted in 2000, and IAS officer Sudhir Rajpal, who was then the Deputy Commissioner, was its founder president. Since then, the society has undertaken several heritage projects and worked towards rejuvenating the historical buildings with the support of the district administration,” said Rajesh Khatri, Member Secretary of the society.
Renovation of the old tehsil complex began in 2014 with the aim of giving it a heritage look and converting it into a museum. During the restoration work, several artefacts were discovered, including an old rusted pistol and coins from post-independence India. These items are now part of the museum’s collection.
The museum will feature 18 galleries showcasing a diverse range of themes such as ancient coins, sculptures, telecommunication history, paintings, saang (folk ballad), postal history, village life, agriculture, old havelis and the history of martyrs, police and Indian epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Khatri said the Vedic gallery has been designed using traditional materials like cow dung, clay and fodder, and displays antique brass utensils and havan-related systems reflecting Vedic traditions. The Ramayana gallery features over 500-year-old wooden sculptures, century-old wooden khadau (footwear) and a red stone idol of Hanuman.
A separate Mahabharata gallery depicts the era associated with the epic. As per local belief, Krishna visited Sonepat three times. The gallery includes an old brass sculpture of Krishna, an antique box and a large oil painting.
Other sections include the Rishi-Muni gallery, Terracotta gallery and Film gallery, which highlights the history of Indian and Haryanvi cinema along with vintage cameras and gramophones. The Police gallery showcases the history, uniforms and martyrdom of police personnel.
The Coin gallery displays antique coins made of brass and silver along with old currency notes, while the Shourya gallery presents the history of Indian armed forces, including medals and copper letters.
In the Postal-Telephone gallery, visitors can see old stamps, telephones and communication tools. The Haveli gallery features antique walking sticks and wall clocks.
The Village and Agriculture gallery exhibits traditional farming tools such as ploughs, tapayas, well buckets and hand-operated flour mills, along with toys used by children in villages.
The Sahyog gallery highlights the work and contributions of the society. Other sections like the Treasury Room and Railway gallery have also been developed, showcasing historically significant items.
Among the major attractions are a steam road roller from 1867 and a traditional rehat (water-lifting system used in wells).
Khatri said the museum work was nearing completion and would soon be opened to the public.
Apart from this project, the society is also working on reviving a historical well believed to date back to the Mahabharata era, located near Ramlila Maidan on Kami Road. According to local belief, four wells were built by the Pandavas in the region before the Mahabharata war, out of which only one survives today.
Earlier, the society undertook the restoration of the 600-year-old tomb of Khwaja Khijjar in Jatwara village, which has now become a major attraction for visitors, Khatri said.
