maharashtra museum

Maharashtra Museums

Maharashtra has as many as around 13 famous Museums, which preserve different types of antique items and works of art. Having a look at the Tribal Museum in Pune would enable the visitors why the tribal life is unique and colourful. A visit at the Coin Museum in Nashik offers a vast idea of Indian coinage from the earliest period to the modern times with the help of coins, moulds, dyes, replicas, photographs, and brief write-ups.

Prince of Wales Museum in Mumabi offers items of natural history, Indian miniature painting, decorative art and Tibetan and Nepali art, European painting, armoury and textile galleries. It is like experiencing a bunch of 5,000 years of Indian art. The Jehangir Art Gallery, Mani Bhavan Mahatma Gandhi Museum, National Maritime Museum, Taraporewala Aquarium and the Veermata Jeejamata Museum are all located in Mumbai.

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Tribal Museum and Museum of Arthropoda in Pune and Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum in Kolhapur are the other famous museums of Maharashtra.

Coin Museum

Coin Museum is in Nasik, Maharashtra. The museum has a fine collection of research and well-documented history of Indian currencies. Coin Museum was established in 1980 under the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies. This museum is the only museum of its kind in Asia. The environment of the museum is so cool, as it is located in the backdrop of the enthralling Ajneri Hill of Nashik.

The museum was established to impart a general idea about Indian coins to the common people. Coin museum gives a vast idea of the Indian coinage from the earliest period to the modern times with the help of coins, moulds, dyes, replicas, photographs, and brief write-ups.

Apart from casting and machine striking, the museum also exhibits dioramas of depicting coin minting and coin manufacturing techniques. Numismatic material and some bronze, terracotta's, copper-hoard objects, paintings and some other historical artifacts are also displayed.

Visiting Hours: 9.30 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm
Closed on:Sundays and Holidays
Entry: Free

Jehangir Art Gallery

Jehangir Art Gallery is located at Kala Ghoda locality of Mumbai, Maharashtra. Constructed in 1952, this art gallery is the most prestigious and modern venue for Indian artistes in the city. There are four exhibition halls to exhibit the work of art here.

There is huge rush of artistes in this gallery to show one's works. Many of the artistes have to wait a couple of years to exhibit their works in this gallery. The gallery has a huge media attention and coverage.

Donated by Cawasji Jehangir, Jehangir Art Galleryis it is managed by the Bombay Art Society. The building of the gallery is an enormous beautiful mansion. Jehangir Art Gallery is one of the Mumbai's well-known art galleries.

Visiting Hours: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm
Open: On all Days
Entry: Free

Mani Bhavan

Mani Bhavan Mahatma Gandhi Museum is located on Laburnam Road, Mumbai in Maharashtra. Its location is near the August Kranti Maidan, where 'Quit India' movement was launched in 1942. Gandhian literature, photographic exhibits, framed letters and 3-D tableaux of key events in Gandhi's life are displayed here.

The home of the diamond merchant and the Indian National Congress supporter Revashankar Jhaveri has been turned into a museum. It is the house where Mahatma Gandhi stayed during his frequent visits to Mumbai between 1917 and 1934.

Gandhi's room and belongings including his books, his trademark 'Charkha' (spinning wheel) and 'Charpoy' (rope bed) are displayed here. It is place, where Gandhi first learned how to use the spinning wheel. There is also a library of Gandhian literature and books read by Gandhi, which includes lots of Tolstoy and Shakespeare and a well-thumbed copy of 'Les Miserables'.

Visiting Hours: 9.30 am - 6.00 pm
Closed on: National holidays
Photography: Allowed

National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The museum preserves the historical treasures of India obtained from other countries and models of ships built in Mumbai. The Indian Navy set up the museum for this purpose.

Mumbai port is one of the busiest ports of India, handling approximately 40% of India's maritime trade. British developed this natural harbour port. Mumbai is well connected by air, rail and road with any part of India.

Prince of Wales Museum

Prince of Wales Museum is in Mumbai. The museum was named after Prince George (later George V) who visited India in 1905 and laid the foundation stone of the building. But it was opened in 1923 by Lady Lloyd, the wife of Sir George Lloyd, then governor.

Prince of Wales Museum has been designed in the Indo-Saracenic style with yellow and blue stones. It has been planned so simple that there is a central hall from which the staircase leads to the two upper floors with galleries branching out on the right and left.

Different sections like natural history section, Indian miniature painting, decorative art and Tibetan and Nepali art, European painting, armoury and textile galleries are splitting off left and right in the two floors. Superb works from 19th century Pahari School of Painting, Mughal paintings, Nepalese & Tibetan Art, Deccan School of Paintings are worth to be mentioned. This museum is a treasure trove of various arts. There are lots of things to be seen.

Mumbai is well connected by air, rail and road.

Visiting Hours: 10.15 am to 6.00 pm
Closed On: Mondays

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is in Pune, Maharashtra. The museum has nearly around 20,000 collections of objects paintings, handicrafts, armour-suits, musical instruments and many other objects of art and artifacts collected from all over the world. The building has been designed in a Rajasthani-style, but the galleries give a clear depiction of the life and culture of the Marathas.

Dinkar Kelkar spent almost 60 years traveling and purchasing objects from the remote areas and towns of India. Dividing into 36 sections, the collections are confined mostly to everyday life like pots, lamps, containers, nutcrackers, pen stands. 'Mastani Mahal' is regarded to be the masterpiece to this museum, which was erected here in its original form.

Articles belonging to Mughal and Maratha periods that dates back to 17th century are displayed at Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum. Musical instruments, metalwork, exquisite chitrakathi paintings and a unique lock collection are the other attractions of the museum.

Timings: 8.30 am-6.00 pm
Closed On: Government Holidays
Viewing Time: Half an hour

Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum

Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum is at New Palace in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Curious and interesting collections from the possessions of Maharaja Shahaji Chhatrapati like guns, trophies and clothes are preserved here. The Maharaja was died recently died in 1983. British architect Charles Mant designed the New Palace in 1881 in the Indo-Sarcenic style.

The museum also has large, excellent weapons collection, including a gold-plated, double-barreled shotgun, some swords, and other guns. There is also one of Aurangzeb's swords at the Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum.

Kolhapur is well connected by air, rail and road with major cities of India. Hotels are available in Kolhapur.

Shri Bhavani Museum

Shri Bhavani Museum in Aundh, which is 48 km from Satara in Maharashtra. The museum has 500 miniature paintings of all major schools - Jaipur, Kangra, Mughal, Punjab, Bijapur, Pahadi and Maratha of the period between 15th and 19th century. Shri Bhavani Museum is probably the only museum in India, which has such a large collection.

Built by the Raja of Aundh, late Bhawanrao Pantpratinidhi in 1938, it is now looked after by the State Government and is the only museum out of the 13 state museums in Maharashtra. The Museum exhibits mainly the work of Bhawanrao done in his lifetime. Shri Bhavani Museum also has the famous stone created structure of 'Mother and Child' by Henry Moore. It was last exhibited in Delhi 10 years ago.

Shri Bhavani Museum has a large section dedicated to stone created structures including the famous 'Mother and Child' by Henry Moore. The museum has four sections entirely devoted to Western paintings that includes Madonna of the Book by Andrea Del Sarto; a Rembrandt self-portrait, In The Prison Of Aurangzeb by A.H. Muller, Beggar Boy by Bartona Morilla, Franciso by L. Goya, Boy Volunteer by G.G. Hierice, Game of Draughts by F. Morelli, Pairs by Cornil and many more.

Nearest railway station is at Satara Road.

Timings: 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm
Closed On: Mondays

Taraporewala Aquarium

Taraporewala Aquarium is at congested locality of Marine Drive in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has marine life and rare species of fishes and exquisite pearl jewellery. The aquarium has plans to renovate shortly into a high-tech Aquarium with special attractions like glass vision sea-world and an underwater sea walk.

The first President of free India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad formally opened it in 1951. The Aquarium has sea life like shark, octopus, kite fish, corals, worms, sea flower, sea horses, pearls and shells. Articles crafted from shells and pearls are also displayed here.

Mumbai is well connected by air, rail and road with major cities of India.

Closed On: Mondays

Tribal Museum

Tribal Museum is located at Pune in Maharashtra. It is near the railway line, which is just east to the railway station. Maharashtra is a vast state and there are a number of tribals in this state. Having different languages, these tribes have their own food habits, taboos, and beliefs - in short distinct cultures.

Tribal Museum exhibits the cultures of the tribal communities mainly from the Sahyadari and Gondwana regions. It is a place where one can find to get an insight into the lives of the tribal communities of Maharashtra.

Pune is well connected by air, rail and road with any city of India.

Timings: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
Closed on: Sundays and government holidays.
Entry: Free
Photography: Allowed with permission.

Victoria & Albert Museum

Veermata Jeejamata Museum, also known as Victoria and Albert Museum is in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This museum is also known as Bhau Daji Lad Museum, as Bhau Daji Lad put all his efforts to establish this museum. The museum has Mumbai city's past item like archaeological finds, maps and photographs.

Rock cut elephants, which was brought by British in 1865 from Elephanta Island, is preserved here. The surrounding is Botanic Gardens spreading on an area of 48 acres. Clay models equivalent of firka paintings made for the British in the 'Company' period-'illustrating' Indian types, and costumes, and trades and professions; finely wrought silver and copper ware; votive bronzes to fossils and minerals, delicate ivories to models of temples made from pith are some of the fine collections of this museum.

Photographs of old Bombay and European bric-a-brac; wonderful Armour and garishly coloured 'fruit' models are also displayed in the museum.

Closed on: Wednesday
Timings: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm