Tarun Thakral, the founder &managing trustee of Heritage Transport Museum is also the Executive Director at CJ International Hotels Ltd, New Delhi that owns and manages Le Meridien New Delhi. Tarun started his career in the Hospitality business in 1986. In 1990, he won the French Government scholarship to pursue MBA program in International Hospitality Management from 'Institut de Hotelier Management International', Paris.
To pursue his hobby and passion in vintage and classic cars, in 1996 Tarun founded Heritage Transportation Trust (HTT) - a registered not-for-profit trust to promote the preservation of modes of transportation that have been used in India. As its Founder and Managing Trustee, HTT has developed India's first comprehensive Transport Museum, Heritage Transport Museum, which opened to visitors in December 2013.
Since its opening Museum won many prestigious awards - The National Tourism Award for being the most innovative and unique tourism project in the country, the 2016 and 2018 Travellers Choice Award by TripAdvisor, International PATWA award for innovation at ITB, Germany, the BITB Tourism Excellence Award, SATTE Tourism award for innovation, and more. He talked to Gyaneshwar Dayal about his passion and labour of love, The Heritage Transport Museum:
What inspired you to create the Heritage Transport Museum? Was there a specific moment or experience that ignited your passion for preserving India's transport history?
India did not have a comprehensive transport museum until the Heritage Transport Museum opened its doors to visitors. Given the presence of remarkable transport museums worldwide, I often wondered why India didn't have one of its own. As my personal collection of transport memorabilia expanded, managing it became increasingly difficult. We launched the Heritage Transport Museum in December 2013, and it remains India's sole transport museum to this day.
How did you go about collecting such an impressive and diverse array of transport artefacts? Were there any particularly challenging or memorable acquisitions?
In 1994, I purchased my first vintage car from Ramgarh Shekhawati, Rajasthan, which was in a state of disrepair. The process of restoring this vehicle over nearly a year brought me immense joy and ignited a passion for collecting and preserving vehicles from being scrapped. My collection soon grew to include cars, two-wheelers, bicycles, carriages, and carts. In 2002, I came across an advertisement from Indian Railways about scrapping several 1930s railway saloons. I quickly contacted the Railway Board, expressing my interest in purchasing and preserving one of these saloons. Since the Railways had never before sold such items to private individuals, it took over a year of negotiations. Ultimately, I succeeded in acquiring and restoring the saloon, which now proudly stands at the museum on a recreated vintage railway platform.
What criteria do you use to select the items displayed in the museum?
The Heritage Transport Museum features a diverse array of transportation modes used for both private and public transport throughout history. Our aim is to display the full range of transportation, encompassing cars, buses, two-wheelers, traditional transport methods, non-motorized vehicles, railways, trams, aviation, and maritime. We choose items based on their historical importance, popularity, and how they complement our existing collection. We also carefully evaluate how each object will engage and benefit our visitors.
What are the biggest challenges you've faced in preserving and restoring some of the older or more delicate items in the museum's collection?
Many items, especially those that are decades or even centuries old, face natural deterioration over time. Components can become fragile or worn, making the restoration process both meticulous and delicate. For vintage vehicles and machinery, locating original or compatible parts can be extremely challenging, often necessitating custom fabrication or innovative solutions to replace missing or damaged components. Restoring complex items, such as early aviation or railway equipment, requires specialized knowledge and skills, and finding experts with the necessary experience can be difficult.
What are your future plans for the Heritage Transport Museum? Are there any upcoming exhibitions or expansions that visitors can look forward to?
We have several exciting initiatives in store for the Heritage Transport Museum to enrich its offerings and continue captivating our visitors. One of our key plans is to introduce an experience centre that will provide a unique, multisensory experience. We're also expanding our exhibitions to feature rare artefacts that showcase various aspects of transportation history. To keep up with the latest technological advancements, we aim to incorporate more interactive and immersive technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and advanced simulation tools, to make the exploration of transport history even more engaging.
What drives your passion for curating and expanding the museum's collection? How do you stay motivated in continuing this labour of love?
A deep passion for history, culture, and education, coupled with a strong commitment to preserving and sharing important stories and artefacts for future generations. The continual excitement and inspiration of discovering new ways to present these treasures and enhance the museum's narrative. The joys of seeing visitors engage with, learn from, and appreciate the museum's offerings. The profound personal fulfilment derived from working in a field I genuinely love and enjoy. And, of course, the pride in contributing to the museum's enduring legacy.
What kind of experience do you hope visitors take away from the museum? Is there a particular message or feeling you want them to leave with?
One of the greatest compliments we've received is being recognized as a world-class museum in India. Many visitors leave with a profound sense of nostalgia, feeling moved, inspired, and reflective. They depart with a deeper understanding of the evolution of transport, and the museum continues to ignite curiosity and further interest in its visitors. We hope to instil a respect for our heritage, encouraging visitors to think about ways to preserve it for future generations. For younger visitors, we aspire to inspire them to develop hobbies that bring them fulfilment and satisfaction.
