Home :: Culture of India :: Museums And Art Galleries In India

Museums and art galleries are the treasure houses of Indian cultural heritage and display collections of artefact's, scientifically classified transporting visitors on a quick fulfilling journey to ancient times of imperial dynasties to view for themselves the wonder that was India. The British in the 19th century set up a number of institutions to explore and document the wealth of material available in the country. Among these were the Archaeological Survey of India and Geological Survey of India. Simultaneously, they began to view Indian art and culture as integral to the country's heritage and deemed it necessary to house collections in suitable institutions. Thus in 1875 the first museum, the Indian Museum was established in Calcutta Museums also serve as the important audio-visual means of education. The development of museums in all their ramifications is considered important as they promote national integration and international understanding.

Museums all over the country exhibit objects that range from finds at archaeological sites, miniature paintings, royal memorabilia to India's finest traditional crafts.The NATIONAL MUSEUM in New Delhi exhibits a range from terracotta figure of the 5th and 6t1, century BC to exquisitely dama scened i. e.. ornamented swords of the Mughal period.Also in New Delhi, the Crafts Museum displays the folk art of India. Periodical exhibitions include textiles, wooden sculptures of coastal India and other thematic subjects. Jaipur's City Palace, itself an object of wonder, houses a collection of royal memorabilia, as do the museums in other parts of Rajasthan, Bikaner Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Alwar and Bundi. Each of these princely States whose rulers were great patrons of art and miniature paintings in distinctive styles of their own forms the nucleus of many II museum's treasure. In Gujarat, the city of Ahmedabad has a sprinkling of museums, all private collections of an individual or a family. The Shereyas Museum of Folk Arts, The Calico Textile Museum of Textiles, the Kite Museum, each display another facet of the rich heritage of craft traditions of Gujarat. Vadodara's museum is housed in an old palace and includes extremely rare bronze figurines. In the north, Jammu's two museums display a valuable collection of miniature paintings known as "Pahari" or hill school. Srinagar's S P S Museum is the only place in India where one can see stone sculptures of deities executed in the distinctive style that was a hallmark of Kashmir from 7th to 11th century AD.

Bhopal Museum's revolves around the considerable tribal skill of Madhya pradesh, the focus of which is dhokra figures, made in the lost wax technique out of bell metal.

Pune's Raja (Dinkar) Kelkar Museum is the life long, collection of one man whose theme was the celebration of everyday life in art. Ink pots, cooking vessels and betal nut crackers all display the wealth of everyday art.

Hyderabad's most famous is the Salar Jung Museum again a personal collection which features priceless treasures as also whimsical objects. Trivandrum has a museum whose building is probably the most photographed edifice in the city. Objects displayed inside are exquisitely carved bronze temple figures. Cochin has a number of museums that were built by the Dutch as palaces and by local rulers. A small museum on the outskirts of the city is the Museum of Natural History. Sound and light show brings to life all the figures exhibited ranging from classical dancers to Portuguese traders. Calcutta too has a museum that was the personal collection of one family at Mallick's Palaces. It is impossible to give a brief account of a subject that requires a full volume itself.