Dec. 31: Past perfect, future tense.

A treasure trove of artefacts is wasting away in Mangaldoi town, watched helplessly by the people who accumulated it. The Darrang District Museum, located at Bhebarghat, houses priceless antiques but lacks proper maintenance. The musty rooms of the musuem and the dust-filled shelves tell the story of apathy on their own.

Set up in 1987, the museum is the only centre in the district for preservation of historical relics.

Bits and pieces of artefacts collected from the remotest corners of the district have found a place on the crumbling shelves over the years. However, lack of funds for maintenance has robbed the museum, still housed in a rented building, of much of its glory.

“The museum was allotted a plot of land in 1988 by then deputy commissioner but we failed to start construction because there were no funds,” district museum officer Sunil Goswami said.

The museum management took great pains to collect the items, even cajoling residents of the town to contribute items of historical relevance passed down to them. Shortage of space has since forced the museum to return some gold and silver antique jewellery to the donors.

“Dispur had set up the museum to showcase the rich history of Darrang district but it completely failed in its objective,” art lover Kumud Bora said.

A frequent visitor to the museum, Bora said it pains him to see the museum in the condition it is now. “The collection of artefacts in the museum is truly astounding and has been appreciated by streams of visitors, including foreigners. It can become a major attraction if funds flow in for maintenance.”

The museum has 38 articles of clothing, including traditional dresses like kingkhap mekhala, khania, agoran, barkapur, dopati, seleng chadar and burqua.

There are also copper idols of Vishnu, Radha and Krishna, besides a bellmetal tray, hathikujia bati and banbati jatikahi. All the items are from the district.

The museum has a rare collection of 67 manuscripts (Sanchipat) and 60 rare coins minted between 1883 and 1945.

The other attractions are ancient fishing tools and exquisite items made of bamboo and wood.

The museum also houses a cannon from the Ahom period and a mini cannon used during marriage ceremonies to light up the sky.