Geography is not my favourite subject at school, I’m more interested in the ways of science and the logic behind every day experiences that my teachers reveal through lessons and demonstrations,” admits 10-year-old Nivaan Shivnani over a candid call with this writer. His perspective is reflective of a growing trend among children today, drawn more towards scientific exploration and less towards concepts like culture and heritage.

His loyalties seem to have undergone a tectonic shift when we talk to him just a day later, after he has read through a map of Maharashtra that highlights the natural and cultural heritage of the state. “Nivaan spent hours on end exploring the map; asking me an unending list of questions about monuments and animals, some of which even I wasn’t aware of,” admits his mother Amrita Shivnani. The map in question here is an illustrated map of Maharashtra, created by the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) that showcases the natural habitat distribution of various animals and locations of iconic heritage monuments. Released on Children’s Day earlier this month, the map is part of the Museum on Wheels initiative that takes the museum experience to schools and NGOs across the country through two custom-built buses. Kids can also get their hands on the map — available in English and Marathi — on a visit to the museum at Fort.