At the curated walkthrough of Shankar’s International Dolls Museum in New Delhi, organised by Diplomatist Magazine, as part of their Prelude Series to Diplomatic Nite, foreign diplomats posted in India, were guided through a remarkable narrative of cultural exchange, creativity, and childhood imagination.
The walkthrough was led by Mrs Naveen Menon, Editor Publications, Children’s Book Trust, the umbrella organisation that established and manages the museum.
“We are an institution devoted to children,” she explained at the outset. “The Children’s Book Trust primarily publishes books for young readers, rooted in the belief that childhood is a time to learn, dream, and discover.”
The walkthrough began with the story of the museum’s visionary founder, K. Shankar Pillai, known widely as Mr. Shankar. Celebrated as one of India’s foremost political cartoonists, Mr. Shankar travelled extensively with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, documenting political life through his art. These journeys also exposed him to diverse cultures around the world—an experience that would later become the foundation of the museum.
Pointing to his portrait, she noted, “Mr. Shankar was known for his sharp political caricatures. But he was also someone who deeply valued children and their individuality.”
Alongside his cartoon journal, Mr. Shankar initiated national competitions in writing and drawing to encourage children to express themselves. “At that time, children were often seen only as extensions of their parents,” she said. “Mr. Shankar believed children must have their own identity and the freedom to express their ideas.”
It was through these competitions that the story of the museum unexpectedly began. When a Hungarian ambassador gifted a doll as a prize, Mr. Shankar was captivated by its craftsmanship and cultural detail. “He thought it was so beautiful that he asked if he could keep it and offer another prize instead,” she recounted warmly. That Hungarian doll became the first piece in what would become one of the world’s most unique and expansive doll collections.
As Mr. Shankar continued to travel, he collected dolls from various countries, eventually assembling 500 dolls as his personal collection. When the museum building was completed in 1965, these dolls formed the foundation of the museum’s first exhibit.
But the collection did not remain static. When ambassadors and international visitors toured the museum and noticed their country’s dolls missing, many returned with dolls that represented their homeland’s traditions, clothing, customs, and stories. “What you see here today, apart from the original 500 dolls, are gifts from ambassadors across the world,” she shared. “It became a gesture of cultural friendship.”
Walking through the glass-lined galleries, diplomats observed dolls from Japan, Ghana, Hungary, Ghana, Peru, France, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, Mexico, and many more—each telling silent stories of festivals, folklore, family traditions, historic attire, and daily life.
“Not everyone can travel,” she said thoughtfully, pausing before a display. “But every child should have the chance to see the world. That is what this museum makes possible.”
Today, Shankar’s International Dolls Museum remains not only a cultural institution but also a living archive of global heritage, preserved through the language of craft and imagination.
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