Shirobhushan (Headgear)

It is indeed a matter of great pleasure that the unique collection of Indian Museum of headwears, headgears, head-dresses and head ornaments are being presented in the form of a booklet on the occasion of 199th Foundation Day of this historic institution. An exhibition titled ‘Shirobhushan’ is being organised in Asutosh Birth Centenary Hall where nearly 95 such objects in the collection of Indian Museum will be showcased.

It is an initiative of the Curators of Indian Museum to present the age-old tradition of headgears, headwears, head-dresses and head ornaments of different regions of India and interpret their socio-religious, political and economic significance since the days of Indus Valley Civilisation. This is a sincere effort on our part to reach out to our visitors who would be interested to discern the identity of each object and enjoy the history behind it.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all the Curators of Indian Museum for their generous support in publishing this booklet. I would also like to thank Smt. Rita Dutta, Dr. Chhanda Mukherjee, Dr. Mita Chakrabarty and Dr. Nita Sengupta for their untiring research and attention.

I am sure the readers will find this small booklet informative and interesting.