Discover A Meditative Museum Dedicated To Self-Reflection
2024 Best of Year Winner for Museum
Nearly 300 feet tall, the Statue of Belief is one of the world’s tallest monuments to the Hindu god Shiva. Opened in 2022, it has become a major tourist attraction in the city of Nathdwara, in the state of Rajasthan, India, drawing visitors who climb to the top or bungee jump beside it. Aatma Manthan Museum, the 18,000-square-foot museum at its base by Sanjay Puri Architects, brings pilgrims down to earth. Dedicated to self-reflection, Aatma Manthan derives its name from the Sanskrit words for soul, mind, and body, and is filled not with texts and artworks but immersive AV experiences. The meditative journey begins in a cavelike foyer, a fluid volume with mushroom columns, sloping walls, and undulating benches coated in gray foam concrete, its sound-absorbing properties ensuring tranquility. The 18 thematic rooms that follow feel more high-tech: Visitors walk past zigzagging mirrors and colorful projections of earth, water, and fire. Overcoming the challenges of an irregular floor plan and an unconventional site, the architecture tells a story that invites introspection.
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PROJECT TEAM: SANJAY PURI; MADHAVI BELSARE; PAYAL RAUT; SUBODH AMIN.
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