Museum seeks to convince Indians that toilets are not dirty

New Delhi: A throne with a built-in commode for a French monarch takes pride of place at a New Delhi museum trying to break taboos surrounding toilets in a country where such convenience remains a sensitive issue.
The replica of the wooden throne used by King Louis XIV is among a treasure trove at the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, tucked away in a bustling suburb of the Indian capital. The French king is believed to have struggled with constipation and held audiences while defecating to save time, say the museum curators. Scores of curious visitors stop by daily to see the centuries-old commodes, chamber pots and bidets as well as a 21st century machine that turns human waste into ash in seconds. More were expected for Sunday´s UN World Toilet Day which has events around the globe. “It is quite an unusual museum and I believe it´s the only one of its kind in the world,” Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the museum and the non-profit Sulabh International, told AFP. “The idea was to start a healthy conversation about sanitation and toilets. We wanted to tell people toilet is not a dirty word,” he said, playing with a small black ball made from dried human waste mixed with glue. Pathak said the museum has gained traction since being named among the world´s top 10 whacky museums by Time magazine in 2014.