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Seashell museum in Jaipur attracts children

     Jaipur: Started as a hobby, the exclusive seashell museum here.has now turned into a sacred mission for Alice Garg. The museum has more than 6,500 varieties of seashells including 334 uncommon shells and 29 rare shells. The museum has the largest 'gastropoda' from Australia called the 'The Australian Trumpet' and the largest 'bivalvia' from the Indian Ocean known as 'The Giant Clam.' There is even a conical shaped seashell called the 'The Glory of India,' which is a favourite among the children. "I really like this museum. I have seen such a museum for the first time in Jaipur, where such information is available about seashells including shells that are fast disappearing," said Anirudh Verma, a visitor. Though, the museum attracts visitors from India and abroad, Garg says the purpose of the museum is not to attract tourists but to impart knowledge to people, particularly children who are far away from the sea in Jaipur. "We have set up a museum, but that is not all. We want to educate children that the seashells are our natural legacy and that we need to save. We also want to spread awareness and encourage them to do research on this," he said. Sixty-five-year-old, Garg, started collecting the seashells, when she was barely in her teens. Later, she donated her collection which became the 'Alice Garg National Seashells Museum'.
-Dec 10,  2006

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