5 Best Museums Of India
India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions with a rich history spanning thousands of years. Over the centuries, the country has seen the rise and fall of various empires and dynasties, each leaving behind its own unique mark on the country’s heritage. These cultural and artistic treasures are preserved in some of the best museums in India. Let us have a look at the top five museums in India.
National Museum, New Delhi: Located in the heart of New Delhi and established in 1949, it is one of the largest museums in the country with a collection of antiques that cover over 5000 years of Indian history, from Harappan civilisation to the modern era. It has a vast collection of artefacts, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, and coins dating back to prehistoric times. The museum also has a collection of textiles, jewellery, and weapons from different periods of Indian history. It has a separate gallery dedicated to the 4000-year-old Indus Valley Civilization.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai: Formerly known as the Prince of Wales museum, it is one of the best museums in Mumbai, which has many museums, each worth a visit. The museum, established in 1922, has a collection of over 50,000 items, including paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. There are several sections in the museum dedicated to Indian sculptures, European paintings, and decorative art. Rare coins, textiles, and weapons are also on display here.
Indian Museum, Kolkata: Founded in 1814, it is the oldest and largest museum in Asia and the ninth oldest museum in the world. The museum has a collection of over one lakh artefacts including sculptures, paintings, manuscripts and coins. The museum has six sections and 35 galleries covering subjects like archaeology, anthropology, geology, botany, zoology, Indian art, and economics. A rare collection, a fossil of a mummy from ancient Egypt, is one of the highlights of this museum. Apart from this, there are collections of skeletons, armour, ornaments, antiquities, and paintings.
Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad: Known as one of the best museums in the country, it is known for its collection of rare artefacts and antiquities from all over the world. The museum has a collection of nearly 45,000 items, including paintings, sculptures, and other art. The museum has many galleries, with Indian art, European art, and Islamic art being the main galleries. One of the highlights of the museum is the famous veiled Rebecca, a marble sculpture depicting a woman’s face in a transparent marble veil. It was a private museum and was handed over to the nation in 1951.
City Palace Museum, Udaipur: This beautiful palace, which was once the residence of the royals, has been converted into a museum. The museum has an extensive collection of artefacts including paintings, sculptures, and weapons. Some of the notable sections of the museum include the crystal gallery, which has a vast collection of crystal objects, and the miniature painting gallery, which has some of the finest miniature paintings in India.
