Forget everything you think you know about museum exhibits. In a groundbreaking fusion of Art History and Computer Science, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has opened a ‘digital portal’ into the 19th century. The exhibition, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Toshakhāna: The Material Splendour of 19th Century Punjab, launched on December 12, 2025, and it is nothing short of a cinematic experience.
For the first time, the legendary royal treasury of the Sikh Empire, once the most dazzling collection of wealth in South Asia, is being ‘resurrected’ using pixels and rigorous research.
When Tech Meets the Throne
The exhibition is the brainchild of a unique interdisciplinary alliance between Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan (Art History) and Dr. Murtaza Taj (Computer Science). By combining centuries-old archival records with modern digital methodologies, the team has achieved what was previously impossible. One of the show’s absolute highlights is the digital reconstruction of the Maharaja’s silver bangla, a massive, double-storied mobile throne. Dismantled and melted down by colonial authorities after the 1849 annexation, it now “exists” once again in full 3D glory. The exhibition offers a nuanced, high-tech breakdown of the journey of the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, tracing its path from the heart of the Lahore Darbar to the British Crown.
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This isn’t just about looking; it’s about experiencing. Visitors navigate through infographics, immersive video narratives, and tactile reimagined models of artifacts that were looted or destroyed nearly two centuries ago.
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More Than a Mourning for the Past
As the curators noted, the goal isn’t just to ‘mourn’ what was lost during the colonial era. Instead, it is about reimagining history through the lens of the people who created it. Each digital object is presented as a ‘living portrait’ of the artisans, the refined aesthetics of the age, and the incredible multicultural pluralism of Ranjit Singh’s court.
Standing in the A-8 Auditorium at LUMS, you aren’t just looking at history; you are seeing the “archival silence” finally broken. As Guest of Honour Fakir Syed Aijazuddin remarked, “Those who forget history are condemned to forfeit it.” This exhibition ensures that the material soul of Punjab is neither forgotten nor forfeited.
The exhibition is open to the public at LUMS until December 19, 2025.
Source: The Nation
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