TIME TRAVEL

A museum in Gurgaon will transport its visitors, in a time machine, to the way things were before flyovers, expressways and high-rises

A heritage transport museum near Manesar will play host to vintage and classic cars, and take Gurgaon residents back to the way things were in the 19th century. And prominent collector and Chief Operating Officer of Delhi's Le Meridien, Tarun Thakral, is the man responsible for this journey into a time machine.
This project, with an estimated cost of Rs 50 million, will commence next month and is expected to be completed by November this year. “The museum will let you travel through time. Each section will be devoted to an era. If you are strolling through early 1900s, the paraphernalia and ambience around the vehicles displayed in that section would correspond to that of the year 1900,” Thakral explains.
“It’s a pre-fabricated construction and will be built within three months. However, the work on the museum will take a bit longer. I have almost finalised on the curator,” he adds.
The museum will showcase India’s transportation history and display mixed modes of transport from the bygone eras including bullock carts, camel carts, palanquins, horse carriages, cycle rickshaws, bicycles, manually-pulled carts, trams, buses, vintage cars, railways, aircrafts right up to Metro Rail.
It will trace the evolution of the transportation system in India right from the early 19th century and display more than 75 cars from 1929 to present, mostly from the hotelier’s personal collection. It will also boast of a beautifully restored 1930 Royal Rail Saloon, as well as some old aircrafts.
“The aim is to collect and preserve automobiles and other modes of transportation for future generations and to tell the story of their impact on Indian society. The museum aims to depict a social history of the way we were, the way we are now and the way of the future,” says Thakral.

Located on Bilaspur-Taoru Road off NH-8, the museum will be spread over a three-acre plot with a total indoor display area of 40,000 sq ft. It will also have library, cafeteria, lounge, office, souvenir shop covering an area of 18,500 sq ft. In fact, the museum could be an ideal venue for future car launches or even a shooting venue for Bollywood films.