Principal Secretary Culture, Brij Mohan Sharma, today inaugurated a two day Rare Coins Exhibition at Kala Kendra, Jammu.
The event was organized to mark observance of World Numismatic Week–2025 by Kala Kendra under the aegis of Department of Culture, Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
A galaxy of art lovers, painters, heritage collectors and dignitaries were present to witness the inaugural ceremony.
While addressing the gathering, Brij Mohan Sharma stated “each coin on display is not merely a piece of metal, it is a witness to history, culture and tradition. It stands as a silent storyteller of trade, governance, empires and the everyday lives of our ancestors.” He emphasized that through their inscriptions, materials, shapes and symbols, coins serve as vital carriers of our collective cultural memory.
The Principal Secretary invited all the collectors and cultural organizations to join hands with the government for resolving issues faced by the heritage collector community. He announced that the Department of Culture has devised a new scheme to recognize and reward Non-Governmental Organizations working with commitment and zeal in the field of culture, heritage preservation and promotion.
Dr. Javaid Rahi, Secretary Kala Kendra, informed that the exhibition is featuring around 1000 rare coins from various historical periods. These included those of Kanishka, Indo-Greek rulers, Pre and post Islamic Kashmir, the Mughal Empire, British era, Sikh and Dogra regimes besides post-Independence India. He said the primary objective of the event is to provide a platform to the collectors to showcase their prized coin collections.
Prominent collectors whose collections are on display included Dr. Suresh Kumar Abrol, Founder, Shashvat Art Gallery, Jammu), Inder Singh, Himalayan Heritage Museum, Jammu), Sudhir Gupta, Ashok Kumar Koul and Ramesh Kumar Raina. Their exhibits have been displayed at the Master Sansar Chand Gallery within Kala Kendra.
Special Secretaries Culture Department, Trishla Kundal and Malikzada Sheeraz ul Haq besides eminent authors and cultural personalities like Khalid Hussain, A.S. Amn, Liaqat Jafri and Raj Kumar Behropia, along with senior officers of Culture Department including Vishivjeet, Raiz Chowdhary and Amar Singh were present on the occasion. They also spoke on the subject and appreciated the initiative.
The exhibition will remain open to the public till evening of April 25, 2025.