States » NorthPosted at: Oct 29 2026 12:42AM


UP looks to Italy for Firozabad Glass Museum, puts visitor experiences in focus

Lucknow, Oct 28 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh is looking up to Italy's glass museums for inspiration for its upcoming Firozabad museum.
Chairing a review meeting on Wednesday focussing on visitor experiences, UP Tourism and Culture minister Jaiveer Singh stressed that every completed project site must carry inscriptions explaining the destination's heritage.
"Shilalekh must be installed at every completed project site. Visitors should be able to understand the heritage and traditions that make each destination distinctive," Singh said.
He said these stone inscriptions are intended to introduce visitors to a destination's religious significance, historical legacy and local traditions. Work on QR codes for tourism site plaques is also being coordinated, with district approved content to be linked to the department's website.
Singh on Wednesday gave officials and executing agencies three days, until Saturday, October 31, to submit the remaining estimates under Uttar Pradesh's 2026-27 tourism action plan, emphasising timely preparation to advance projects across the state.
The agency wise statement lists 511 project estimates, of which 260 have been received and 251 are awaited. Singh directed that the remaining estimates be made available within the stipulated period so that project implementation could be taken forward on schedule. The programme includes 22 projects under the Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad.
Singh chaired the review with Additional Chief Secretary and Director General, Tourism, Amrit Abhijat, examining museum development, visitor amenities, cultural participation and operating arrangements for tourism properties.
Officials, during the meeting, informed that museum projects in Jhansi, Firozabad, Varanasi, Deoria, Bijnor and Sultanpur were at different stages of development. The wider programme includes curation at Firozabad's Glass Museum and the Munshi Premchand Memorial Museum and Library at Lamhi in Varanasi, alongside the museum project at Dushyant Kumar's ancestral home in Bijnor.
The memorial and museum being developed at KD Singh Babu's ancestral home in Barabanki is targeted for completion in December 2026. Abhijat placed particular emphasis on Firozabad's Glass Museum, being developed as India's first dedicated glass museum, and sought an international perspective for its development.
"Firozabad's Glass Museum should draw inspiration from glass museums in Italy. The KD Singh Babu project must be completed to the highest standards of workmanship, with a site inspection in the presence of the district magistrate to ensure quality and timely delivery," Abhijat said.
The approximately Rs 14.99 crore development project at Lucknow's Folk Art Museum includes additional galleries, a children's activity zone, workshop spaces, landscape improvements and folk installations. These planned facilities would give families and young visitors more ways to engage with the state's folk heritage.
Alongside cultural attractions, the department is advancing arrangements for tourist accommodation and visitor services. Tourism department records list 616 projects handed over by executing agencies.
At Kapilvastu in Siddharthnagar, an agreement was executed on October 27 and the properties handed to the selected agency for operation. The arrangement covers cottages, a dormitory and tourism information facilities, alongside the integrated Buddhist tourism complex comprising a Buddha theme park, sound and light show, parking, toilets and last-mile connectivity.
The facilities provide a foundation for visitors to include an overnight stay while exploring the destination. Construction has also started on the Vipassana and tourist facilitation centre project at Sankisa.
An operating agreement has been executed for the Maharaja Suheldev Memorial in Bahraich, with the property handed over for operation. Operators have been selected for the Maa Chandrika Devi guesthouse at Baksar in Unnao and UP Tourism's guesthouse at Badrinath, with agreement formalities to follow.
Plans for Parampara centres in Lucknow, Sitapur, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj and Varanasi formed another part of the discussion. Conceived as one stop centres for tourism and culture, the proposals involve coordination with district administrations on land availability and site identification.
Cultural participation is also being considered through the proposed 'Rang UP' initiative, envisaged at the tehsil level across all 75 districts to encourage youth involvement, cultural innovation and livelihood opportunities. Participation by colleges and universities has been suggested to widen its reach.
Land related planning for Sanskriti Bhawan and a new campus of Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Lucknow was also reviewed.
At Fatehpur Sikri, preparations for an evening heritage experience are progressing. The status report places the sound and light show with 3D projection mapping at Jodhabai Palace at 85 per cent completion, while associated pathway and palace illumination works stand at 78 per cent.
The Kashi Sarnath heritage streetscape project in Varanasi, sanctioned for approximately ₹37.15 crore under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 on September 29, also featured in the review. A proposal to nominate the executing agency was forwarded to the state government on October 22.
Operational arrangements for the Agra and Mathura heliports were discussed, with a meeting with the developer scheduled for October 29 under Abhijat's chairmanship to consider commencement of operations.
Destination planning is being supported by the Tourism Matrix, with information entered across all 75 districts and regional offices continuing to update their records.
Curatorial preparations at Lucknow's Nausena Shaurya Museum, Agra's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum and Mahoba's Sun Temple Interpretation Centre and Planetarium were reviewed alongside the wider cultural projects.
Preparations for Deepotsav in Ayodhya and Dev Deepawali in Varanasi brought the two departments' work together. The cultural programme being prepared for Ayodhya includes Ramlila presentations from India and abroad, folk performances at venues across the city and exhibitions by cultural institutions. UNI MBD NST CDS
Tags: #UP looks to Italy for Firozabad Glass Museum# puts visitor experiences in focus
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