'Shahjehan' returns to Red Fort amid UNESCO cheer for Delhi

NEW DELHI: Delhi's historic Red Fort is hosting the ongoing key meeting of UNESCO on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, and fittingly 'Shahjehan' has 'returned' to the Mughal-era palace complex to greet the delegates.

Except, we are not talking about the celebrated emperor himself, but a striking model of an old aircraft -- a Boeing 747 - Jumbo Jet -- named after him, which was once part of Air India's iconic 'Emperor' fleet.

It has been displayed prominently in front of a British-era barrack housing a brand new gallery that showcases some of the priceless artefacts and objects drawn from Air India's 'Maharaja Collection'.

Nearly 300 objects, which includes ancient sculptures, Chola bronzes, Mughal miniature art, kalamkari artworks, contemporary paintings and several iconic old 'Air India' posters have been displayed in two of the old barracks -- 'A1' and 'A2' -- to mark the UNESCO meet, being hosted in India for the first time.

The galleries in these two barracks have been curated by Delhi-based National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), which now owns the collection that was earlier housed at the landmark Air India Building at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is being held at the Red Fort from December 8 to 13.

Hundreds of delegates have gathered at this UNESCO World Heritage Site to take part in deliberations, and India has showcased its rich tangible and intangible heritage on the occasion.

"Four new galleries have been set up in the Red Fort complex. Two of them showcase artefacts which have been drawn from the Air India collection, which we got after Air India was privatised," Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal told PTI on Monday.

One gallery on arms and armouries has been curated by the National Museum. And, the fourth gallery is on archaeological objects excavated or found from the Red Fort premises, he said.

These galleries have been set up in four 19th century British-era barracks on the Red Fort premises.

But, proving a head-turner among these objects, is the model of the old Air India (AI) plane, marked by its distinctive white and red livery and jharokha-style window design, and the tail number -- 'VT-EBE'.

The AI in a post on X in 2021, had shared a photo of this aircraft with a caption -- "On 4th May 1971, 'Emperor Shahjehan' became the second B747-237B (VT-EBE) to join the Air India fleet".

"#FlyAI: Air India spread its wings to soar high - adding another world-class Boeing 747 - Jumbo Jet - into its fleet named after Emperor Shahjehan. #ExperienceRegality #PioneerAirline," it said.

Named after legendary emperors, including Ashoka, Air India had introduced this luxury fleet for patrons as 'Your Palace in the Sky'. This tagline is painted on the rear section of the 'Shahjehan' aircraft model, while the nose section carries its name in English and Hindi, one on each side.

And, as delegates visit the gallery, they also get a taste of the royal collection that legendary industrialist and aviation pioneer JRD Tata and others from his illustrious family had built over the decades.

NGMA's Jyoti Tokas, the curator of the Air India collection galleries at the Red Fort said, "Many of these old objects used to be originally displayed at Air India's offices in foreign countries".

"It was in a way, a show of India's soft power through culture, back then by Air India," she told PTI.

Tokas said the collection was "acquired last year, and brought to the Red Fort last year, and three months back it was decided that as part of the (UNESCO) meet of the Intergovernmental Committee (for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage), we should an exhibition here from the collection".

The Red Fort complex also has old galleries houses in other British-era barracks themed on freedom struggle, 1857 Mutiny, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA, and the Atmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design which have been opened over the course of last few years.