Museums. Museums are one of the most interesting places to visit. People who love to have some historical knowledge about their own civilisation, the museum is just the place for them. Museums are a wealthy source of energy for kids, students and adults. Museums have a vivid collection of sculptures, artefacts, objects used in the past like knives, guns, books, furniture, utensils etc. Museums are also a very rich informer of the art, literature, culture and science about a person, place, event or even object. Museums sometimes also offer us some knowledge about different mythologies. Here is a list of “must visit” museums in India.

National Museum, New Delhi
Established in 1949, the National Museum is also known as the National Museum in India. It is one of the largest museums in India housing an exemplary collection of around 2,00,000 artworks which include terracotta, wood sculptures, paintings, costumes, jewellery, weapons, musical instruments etc. A visit to the National Museum will revive one’s knowledge about the different Indian cities, which hold great significance from the prehistoric times. The museum runs a brief exhibition of the Mughal Period, Vijaynagar Period in South India and showcases different civilisations like the Buddha and Harappan civilisation. The blueprint of this museum was prepared by the Gwyer Committee set up by the Indian government in 1946. The majestic museum is now maintained by the Ministry of Culture Department of India.

Indian Museum, Kolkata

Located in the heart of Kolkata, the Indian Museum is known to be the oldest and largest multipurpose museums in the country. Founded in 1814, by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata, it has divided itself into six sections namely Art, Anthropology, Archaeology, Economic Botany, Zoology and Geology. The museum boasts of the presence of some skeletons of different species and Egyptian mummies. It also possesses other artefacts like fossils, armour, painting, relics of Buddha, pieces of architecture and a lot more. There is also the presence of a bookshop and library inside the premises of the museum.

Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai

Also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vaastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Prince of Wales Museum is Mumbai’s central museum. Located in the heart of the city, near the Gateway Of India, the museum is endowed with a fusion or intermix of Indian, British and Mughal histories and styles of engineering. It is ornamented with spectacular stone carvings and architecture. It habitats a very rich collection of ancient artworks, artefacts, sculptures, textiles and some artworks of the Hindu God, Krishna. Remains of the ‘Maurya’ and ‘Gupta’ periods are dawned beautifully inside the museum along with artefacts from the Indus Valley civilisation as well.

Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad

Placed in the heart of the city, close to Charminar, Salar Jung Museum is known as the third largest museum in India. The museum displays a huge range of artefacts which was majorly gathered by Yousuf Ali Khan, also known as Mir Salar Jung III accompanied by Salar Jung I. Majority of the artefacts are collected by Yousuf Ali Khan, who spent his entire life doubt the same. The museum promises an explicit display of around 43000 art objects, 47000 printed books and 9000 manuscripts. These artefacts outline the Indian, middle eastern and European art. Salar Jung Museum is famous for the presence of the 19th century British Musical Clock.

Museums are a place to be cherished for all the right reasons. Next time when you visit any of the cities mentioned above, namely, New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad, do add these museums to your itinerary and reward yourself with a bit of the Indian history.

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