As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic week of the Ministry of Finance, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday dedicated to the nation, Dharohar – the National Museum of Customs and GST in Goa.
‘Dharohar’ is housed in Panaji’s famous Blue Building on the banks of the Mandovi River. The two storey building, which was earlier known as Alfandega during Portuguese rule, is 400 years old.
The dedication ceremony was performed in a unique manner, with the FM removing the golden sand from single rock art installed at the centuries old heritage building in which the museum is housed.
The Ministry of Finance said that Dharohar is one of its kind museums in the country that showcases not only the artefacts seized by Indian Customs but also depicts various aspects of work performed by the Customs Department while safeguarding the economic frontiers of the country, its heritage, flora and fauna and the society.
Dharohar museum
The newly inaugurated museum houses 8 galleries viz: Introductory gallery, History of Taxation Gallery, Guardians of our economic frontiers gallery, Guardians of our Art & Heritage, Guardians of Flora & Fauna, Custodians of our social well-being, Journey of Indirect taxes –Salt Tax to GST and the GST gallery
Further, the tour de force of the museum is a unique ‘Battle of Wits’ gallery which showcases the cerebral battle between the smugglers and the Customs officers. It contains chronicled seizures of antique coins, statues, endangered wildlife, weapons and narcotics.
It also displays the manuscript of Ain-i-Akbari intercepted by the Indian Customs at the Indo-Nepal border at Raxaul, replica of Amin pillars from Kaurkshetra, medieval period astronomical instruments, seized metal and stone artefacts, ivory items and wildlife items.
Dharohar museum’s GST Gallery
This is a brand-new addition to the Dharohar Museum. A first of its kind initiative in the country, the GST Gallery shows the long and arduous journey to GST spanning two decades. Beginning with the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government initiating discussions on GST in 2000, the Gallery chronicles various stages and processes that paved the way for introduction of reformed unified indirect taxation in the form of GST on July 1, 2017.
‘Dharohar’ is an important addition to the Tourism Map of India and a must-see attraction in Goa, the ministry of finance added.
