DELHI DURBAR: Empire, Display and the Possession of History

Historians in the past have analysed the ideology of the Delhi durbars, but never before has such a collection of the material culture of these events been brought together for display.

As we open doors to our historical exhibition curated by Rana Safvi and Swapna Liddle, we see that the visual imagery of the durbars drew heavily on the heritage of the city: on Mughal courtly ceremony of the past—as the very name ‘durbar’ indicates—as well as the stately architecture of the Mughal and sultanate periods.

Discover the material culture through numerous photographs, taken by prominent photographers of the day, as well as many other objects relating to the durbars, from portraits and medals, to maps and official guidebooks, and to tickets and programmes.

Visit us over the next few weeks from Monday through Saturday, 11am – 7pm and follow us on Instagram @dag.world for upcoming events and programming.