Children’s Museum of Manhattan to host The Namaste Express in 2018

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NEW YORK – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan will host an exhibition on Indian culture The Namaste Express, in the summer of 2018.

The Namaste Express will be the latest exhibition in an ongoing series of the museum’s exhibitions devoted to world cultures which have already included Ancient Greece, China, Japan and Jazz in NYC, with America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far as their current cultural exploration.

Through these exhibitions, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is able to teach children the importance of different cultures around the world and they do this by providing interactive, hands-on activities that the children can participate in, at their will, so they are able to gain a deeper understanding of the culture and its people.

In their upcoming exhibition, The Namaste Express, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan wants to celebrate the beauty and diversity of India’s different cultures and languages along with its history and technological advancements.

The exhibition will be “conceptualized as an interactive train journey through the country. The exhibition layout will allow children and families to make multiple stops at states and cities in India and sample the variety of architectural styles, cultures and environments through colors, shapes, structures and landscapes,” said Lizzy Martin, the Director of Exhibition Development and Museum Planning, at a meet to launch the exhibition, on November 6.

Some of the activities that are already underway include a Rajasthani puppet show, a Bollywood stage, a Chaat Cart (wheeled street cart), rolling rickshaws, a yoga center and a majestic Indian architectural fort, but the Children’s Museum of Manhattan wants more.

“We want families to feel like they are in India, so that is why we are asking members of the Indian American community to help us bring this cultural experience to life,” said Andrew Ackerman, the Executive Director of the museum, speaking at the meet.

“As an Indian American and a mother of two boys, I would love for my kids to learn about India while living in New York,” said Anu Shegal of Culture Tree, who also brought Diwali to the museum this year in their one day special.

The museum is not only looking for ideas from the Indian American community but wants to bring in performers, educators and artists who can bring the diverse cultures of India to life, in front of a family audience.

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan plans to run the scheduled three-month exhibition in the summer of 2018 and depending upon the response, may plan to extend The Namaste Express exhibit for four years, in a much bigger location.