Indian Museum Kolkata

I was excited on my visit to the Indian museum, Kolkata. In the morning we took a cab and reached at 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700016, where the largest museum of India is situated. We stood in the queue to buy the entry tickets and eventually I was lost in the history of the Indian museum. The idea of establishing a museum was first done by Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, who happened to be a Danish Botanist.

The interior of the museum still has many elegant features with Marshal Woods. The statue of a young looking Queen Victoria is still standing proudly at the top of the stairways. It is a magnificent statue to look at. However on entering the museum I found there are six sections comprising 85 galleries of cultural and scientific artifacts namely Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Economic Botany. I liked the Fossil’s Skeletons of pre-historic animals most. Among other interesting things I liked the Egyptian Mummy, the Buddhist Stupa from Bharhut, the Buddha’s ashes and the Ashoka pillar, whose four Lion symbol became the official emblem of our Country.

However, the museum is currently under renovation and at least five to six galleries were found closed, as it will complete 200 years of its foundation in 2014. Preparations are being made for celebrating the same. The main areas for its renovations are to give it a visitor-friendly outlook apart from the traditional look. The other projects are to re-open the Harappa Gallery with a new look to the visitors.

From time to time various workshops are being organized by the Indian Museum, Kolkata. Some of which have taken place are –

Kites: Learn, Create and Fly

Indian museum in collaboration with Craft Council of West Bengal, Kolkata organized a workshop on Kite making. This was arranged on the roof –top of the museum building.

Continuity of Teracotta Art

Another workshop was organized on “Continuity of Teracotta Art” in the archaeological garden, Indian museum. Students from various schools attended this workshop. 

                                          

Facts and figures:

• Established in 1814
• Founded by Asiatic Society of  Bengal in Kolkata
• Present Director of the Indian Museum is Mr. Anup K. Matilal
• Nathaniel Wallich, the Curator, donated 42 Botanical specimens
• Collection 1,02,646 (as on March 31, 2004)

Sushmita Byapari

PGPMC

2nd sem