Originally reported and written in April 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

A brightly painted auto rickshaw, with no driver, has two visitors seated inside, listening to Indie pop from the early years of contemporary rock music. Adjacent to it is a space dimly lit and adorned with temple bells hanging from the ceiling and pillars, inscribed with Vedic hymns. Sonorous chants from the Vedas echo around. The sounds contrast, even as strains of the musical notes seamlessly merge.

Folk songs and classical ragas, playback singers and Bharat Ratna artistes, freedom struggle and popular films — the seemingly disparate sections rub shoulders merrily here at a one-of-its-kind Indian music museum in Bengaluru. Revealing the wide diversity and history of Indian music, the Indian Music Experience (IME) museum is an awe-inspiring tribute and treasure trove.

A nation whose dance and music tradition dates back to over 2,000 years deserves this and more. There is, of course, the Sangeet Natak Academy, but it focuses more on performances — this was the thought that M R Jaishankar, the chairman of Brigade Group of Real Estate Developers, found himself thinking. But India needed something that also showcased the rich history of music, he realised while visiting the Grammy museum in Los Angeles. Roughly ten years later, his dream came true, and the IME was open to the public. 

“The Indian Music Experience music came into being as a community development initiative,” Jaishankar explains. “Though I’m not a connoisseur, I’m passionate about music: be it Western classical, Carnatic or Bollywood songs of yesteryears. I wanted to create something that will make the younger generation aware of India’s rich heritage in art and culture.” 

He continues, “This need was further driven home when I visited museums in the West and realised that Indian culture is far richer. In Seattle, I saw the Jimmy Hendrix museum, and that made me think that if a whole museum can be dedicated to a single musician, India, which has thousands of musicians, also needed a museum to showcase its heritage.” 

“IME, promoted by the Indian Music Experience Trust, is doing a creditable job of nurturing various forms of music. We wanted an interactive approach so everyone could craft their own unique experience when engaging with the exhibits.”

‘Can you imagine a world without music?’

This question is posed to the visitors at IME on the storyboards that adorn its walls. Pause and think. Beginning with a mother’s lullaby to the chants recited at a funeral, our lives are interwoven with........

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