18-May; Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the International Museum Expo 2023 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi today. Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister congratulated the people on the 47th International Museum Day. He said the government is continuously working to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the country and building cultural infrastructure. He said the focus has been laid on building local and rural museums.The International Museum Expo has been organised as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate the 47th International Museum Day. The theme of the expo is museums, sustainability, and well-being. The Prime Minister has unveiled the mascot of the International Museum Expo, the Graphic Novel – A Day at the Museum, the Directory of Indian Museums, the Pocket Map of Kartavya Path, and Museum Cards. The Mascot of the International Museum Expo is a contemporized version of the dancing girl made of wood in the Chennapatnam art style. During the programme, Mr Modi also inaugurated a virtual walkthrough of the upcoming National Museum at the North and South Blocks. The Museum will highlight and showcase country’s rich civilizational culture, historical events, personalities, ideas, and achievements.Mentioning the gastronomic section of the Expo, the Prime Minister talked about the growing profile of Ayurveda and Shree Anna Millets due to India’s efforts. He suggested that new museums can come up about the journey of Shree Anna and other grains.The Prime Minister said that all this can be possible when preserving things of historical significance becomes the nature of the country. He elaborated how this can be achieved. He suggested that every family create a family museum of their own family. He said that simple things of today will be an emotional property for the coming generations. He exhorted schools and other institutions to create their own museums. He also asked cities to create city museums. This will create huge historical wealth for the future generations.