The Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Bhuj, Gujarat, has been awarded the UNESCO Prix Versailles 2024 for its exceptional interior design. The award was presented at a ceremony held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The museum, designed by Vastu Shilpa Consultants and conceptualized by the late architect B.V. Doshi, commemorates the lives lost during the devastating earthquake that struck Kutch on January 26, 2001. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 28, 2022.
Spanning 470 acres on Bhujiyo Hill, the memorial includes a museum covering 11,500 square meters. The museum's design integrates with the surrounding landscape and features galleries that educate visitors about disaster preparedness and resilience. It also houses a special theater that simulates the 2001 earthquake experience. The museum also has 50 ponds, on which plaques with the names of earthquake victims have been placed, to collect water.