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On your visit to Delhi, don't
forget to visit the historical museums in Delhi , India. Museums in
Delhi holds the treasures of erstwhile rulers of Delhi. Doll museum,
science museum and Rail museum makes a special place in the
attractions of New Delhi.
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India -
Delhi -
Places
To See - Museums in Delhi
Museums in Delhi
¤ Airforce Museum
Near Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 1).
Open : 1000-11700 hrs; Closed: Monday & Tuesday.
The kids will simply love this – guns, bullets, uniforms and
photographs that record the history of the Indian Air Force. and there
are awesome aircraft which include a Westland ‘Wapiti’.
¤ Field Museum
Purana Qila,
Mathura Road.
Open 1000-1700; Closed: Friday.
Excavation
has revealed that Purana Qila built by both Humayun and Sher Shah Suri
was actually the site of the legendary city of Indraprastha.
Archaeological finds on this site have disclosed coins from the early
Sunga period (200-100BC), red earthenware from the Kushan period
(100BC-300AD), seals and figurines from the Gupta period (200-600AD)
and stone sculptures (700-800 AD). Later finds include Rajput coins
(900-1200 AD), glazed ware and coins from the Sultanate period
(1206-1526AD).
¤ Gandhi Darshan
Opposite Raj Ghat.
Open 1000-1730; Closed Sunday.
Bang opposite Raj Ghat is a small museum on the life and times of
Mahatma Gandhi. There are five pavilions for you to go through –
sculpture, photographs and paintings of Gandhi and the history of the
Satyagraha movement and the philosophy of ahimsa
(non-violence).
¤ Gandhi Smriti
Birla House
5, Tees January Marg.
Open daily between 0900-1730hrs.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Indian Nation, was assassinated by
a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse, on 30 January 1948 on the premises of
the Birla House as he was coming out into the lawn for a prayer
meeting. The building was turned into a national museum after his
death and people from all over the country visit to pay their
respects.
¤ Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum
1, Safdarjang Road.
Open: 0930-1700hrs.
The residence of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who fell to
bullets by two of her own bodyguards on 31 October, 1984. The house
has since been converted into a national memorial called Indira Gandhi
Memorial Museum. A modest bungalow, it is furnished simply and hung
with photographs chronicling her life from childhood days with the
Mahatma to later off-duty relaxation with her grandchildren Rahul,
Priyanka and Varun. It is surrounded by a charming garden where you
can hear Mrs Gandhi’s speeches from megaphones hidden in the
bushes. It was in this garden that she was assassinated
¤ National Museum of Natural History
FICCI Building,
Tansen Marg,
New Delhi 110001.
Open 1000-1700, closed Monday.
A small but well-assembled introduction to India’s natural
heritage and excellent for initiating children into the study of flora
and fauna. A Discovery Room offers children the opportunity to handle
specimens and take part in creative activities such as animal
modelling. Daily filmshow (1130-1530), regular lectures and
exhibitions organized in conjunction with other natural history
organizations.
¤ National Museum
Janpath
New Delhi 110001.
Open 1000-1700hrs; Closed: Monday.
¤
A Worth Visiting Site
It wouldn’t be out of place to call National Museum the cultural
gateway into India. Set up on August 15, 1949 (to coincide with our
Independence Day), the museum is a treasurehouse of antiques and
historical memorabilia ranging from sculpture through carving,
paintings, jewellery, manuscripts, arts and crafts to you-name-it! The
collection was earlier housed in the Durbar Hall of the Rashtrapati
Bhawan and moved to its present building only in 1960.
The museum now boasts of over 2,00,000 works of exquisite art, both
of Indian and foreign origin, covering a time span of more than 5,000
years. Some of the must-see sections are those showcasing Buddhist
Art, Tantra Art, Jewellery, Scripts and Coins, Decorative Arts, Arms
and Armour, Textiles, Tribal Lifestyle of Northeast India, Wood
Carvings and Musical Instruments.
¤ Museum Shop Attractions
Another interesting feature is the museum shop that offers replicas
of masterpieces of sculpture, books on Indian arts and culture,
picture postcards, guides and various other handcrafted gift items to
take back home.
The museum often hosts exhibitions in coordination with museums from
other countries. This means that Indian exhibits travel abroad too
while those from other museums come visitng at the National Museum.
The museum has a vast library which can be accessed by professionals,
scholars and students after obtaining the necessary permission. Free
guided tours to the galleries and film shows in the auditorium are
arranged every day. Gallery talks are held on every Wednesday on
specific topics in the respective galleries at 1100hrs.
¤ National Philatelic Museum
Dak Bhawan,
Patel Chowk,
Sansad Marg.
Open : 0930-1630 hrs; Closed: Saturday; Free entry passes from
Parliament Street Head Post office basement.
Across the road from Patel Chowk, near Connaught Place, is Dak Bhawan
which has a post office with an outlet for philatelists interested in
Indian stamps. The building also houses the National Philatelic Museum
which has an extensive stamp collection including the first stamp
issued in India by the Sindh Dak (1854) and stamps issued before
Independence by the rulers of the Princely States.
¤ Nehru Memorial Museum & Library
Teen Murti House
New Delhi 110001.
¤ The Residence of First Prime Minister- Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
To the south of Rashtrapati Bhawan stands Teen Murti Bhawan, built in
1929-30 as part of the new imperial capital. It used to be the
official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in
India before independence. After the departure of the last
Commander-in-Chief, it became the official residence of the first
Prime Minster of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru lived here for 16
years until his death on May 27, 1964. The house cam to be identified
with Nehru and one could hardly think of it without evoking his
remarkable personality, creative, innovative and humane in equal
proportions.
Soon after his death the Govt. of India decided that teen Murti House
should be dedicated to his memory and should house a museum and a
library.
¤ Converted Into A Museum
The museum at Teen Murti has been primarily developed as a personalia
museum. Some of the rooms, such as the bedroom, the drawing-room and
the study have been preserved as they were at the time of Nehru’s
death. The museum portrays through visual media the life and work of a
man who was the leader of India’s struggle for freedom, the
architect of modern India, and a passionate champion of world peace.
Apart from highlighting his achievements, the visual display describes
Nehru’s Kashmiri lineage, reconstructs his childhood and youth,
his years at Harrow and Cambridge, his budding career as a barrister
and his activities as a young radical who entered nationalist politics
in 1917 by participating in the Home Rule Movement.
A display of popular interest is the Gifts Gallery which has some of
the priceless gifts received by Nehru during his travels in India and
overseas. Among the exhibits is the Baharat Ratna medal awarded to the
late Prime Minster in 1955.
¤ Main Attractions
An object of great interest to visitors is the Jawahar Jyoti, the
eternal flame which is kept burning day and night. The ‘jyoti’
symbolizes the ideals for Jawaharlal lived and worked during his
lifetime.
A massive granite rock put up in the front lawn is inscribed with
excerpts from the historic tryst with destiny speech delivered by
Nehru in the midnight session of the Indian Constituent Assembly on
August 14-15, 1947.
Since its inception more than 12 million visitors have thronged to
the museum. Guides are available for conducting groups of visitors.
The son-et-lumiere shows, with Hindi and English commentaries,
arranged in Teen Murti House every evening throughout the year, except
during the rainy season, lend colour and splendour to the story of
Jawaharlal Nehru’s life.
The Nehru Library collection consists of material on religion,
culture, sociology, economics, politics and development in India. The
library collection includes books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals,
more than 5,500 microfilm rolls of private papers, missionary records,
newspapers and old and rare journals and 4,480 microfiche plates of
research material.
The museum and library boast of an excellent manuscript collection
which can be divided into two categories: institutional records and
papers and correspondence of individuals. The collection began with
the precious nucleus of the Nehru family papers of the
pre-independence days. Since then, a very substantial number of
additional papers have been added. Among 300 and more individual
collections are the papers of eminent politicians, adminstrators,
diplomats, jurists, scientists, educationists and industrialists.
¤
Red Fort Archaeological Museum
Mumtaz Mahal,
Red Fort.
Open: 1000-1700: Closed: Friday.
Paraphernalia and memorabilia from the Mugahl reign in Delhi. A
special section is dedicated to the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah
Zafar, who died in captivity. You can get a peek at some of his
personal belongings like his silk robes and hookah. Check out the
amzingly crafted swords, hookahs and chess sets, embroidered textiles
and decorative blue tiles.
¤ Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art
Sanskriti Kendra
Anandgram
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road,
New Delhi 110047.
The Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art is housed in Sanskriti Kendra.
The museum was set up out of a concern for endangered Indian
traditions. It has now become a unique repository of objects from the
everyday life of traditional India, which show excellence in
craftsmanship, conception and choice of design. These objects,
numbering over a thousand, are suitably documented for the purpose of
research.
¤ Sanskriti Museum of Terracotta
Sanskriti Kendra
Anandgram
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road,
New Delhi 110047.
Another museum located in Sanskriti Kendra is the Museum of
Terracotta. To Indians, Earth is Mother – a symbol of absorption
and creativity. Inspired by this thought Sanskriti created this museum
which houses objects made by some of the finest craftspersons who have
visited the Kendra from different parts of India. Using their
distinctive traditions and techniques, they created objects that are
displayed in the museum and elsewhere within the complex.
The museum has a well-documented display of India’s terracotta
tradition. Complementing the museum are residential faclities and
working space for craftspersons where one can sometimes get an
opportunity to see them at work.
¤ Swatantrata Sangram Sanghrahalya
Open: 1000-1700; Closed: Friday.
A definite stop for all those who wish to know more about the sweat,
toil and blood that went into India’s struggle for Independence.
Run by the Archaeological Survey of India, the museum is 100m beyond a
left turn after Chatta Chowk near the Red Fort in Old Delhi. It traces
India’s history from the colonial period and focuses on the
freedom movement and its leading lights. A comprehensive collection of
photographs, paintings, maps, and bronzes makes for an interesting and
educative experience. This is an excellent way to tell your kids about
their country and the price our forefathers have paid for the freedom
we enjoy today.
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