West Bengal Museums
Indian Museum
Established in 1814. First of its kind and still the largest in the country.
The Museum has six sections: Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology
and Industry (Economic Botany). The Art Section comprises mediaeval Indian paintings.
Tibetan temple banners, metal images, enameled wares, bidriwares, ornaments,
silver wares, glass wares, pottery, ivory and bone work, wooden sculptures,
leather objects, lacquered toys, articles in jade and crystals and rare textiles
from all parts of the Indian sub-continent.
The Archaeological Section displays stone-age artifacts from India and abroad,
pre-historic antiquities from Mohenjodaro, Harappa, ranging from 2500 B.C. to
1500 B.C. , sculptures belonging to all phases of history from the 4/5 century
B.C. to the late mediaeval times; inscriptions on stones and copper, Indo-Muslim
architectural pieces and a representative collection of Indian coins. Indian
bronzes and the art and crafts of Bengal are also housed in two separate galleries.
A special gallery, displays a large variety of various Indian musical instruments.
The Anthropological Section displays numerous objects of material cultures of
both tribal and non-tribal peoples of India, large dioramas put up through considerable
amount of research work. The extensive Geological Section has over 80,000 specimens,
displayed in four galleries showing varieties of meteorites, precious stones,
ornamental building stones, rocks and minerals and fossils. The Zoological Section,
the largest of its kind in India, is rich with innumerable specimens of insects,
fish, reptiles, mammals and birds.
The Industrial Section has several thousand botanical specimens bearing upon
medicine, forestry, agriculture and cottage-industry. The Museum has a publication
unit and a library. Also runs a mobile-unit for rural areas. Offers guide service,
arranges seasonal series of lectures and sells guide books, picture-cards and
plaster-casts of ancient sculptures. Periodically publishes bulletins. Exhibits
are labeled in English, Bengali and Hindi.
Indian Museum
27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road,
Calcutta - 700 013.
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