National
Museum
Located on Janpath just south of Rajpath, the
National Museum has a
good collection of Indian bronzes, terracotta and wood sculptures dating
back to the Mauryan period (2nd-3rd century BC), exhibits from the
Vijayanagar period in south India, miniature and mural paintings, and
costumes of the various tribal people. The museum is definitely worth
visiting and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Right next door is the Archaeological Survey of India office.
National Gallery of Modern Art
This
gallery stands near India Gate at the eastern end of Rajpath, and was
formerly the Delhi residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur.
It houses an
excellent collection of works by both Indian and colonial artists. It is
open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Nehru Museum
Located on Teen Murti Road near Chanakyapuri, the residence of the first
Indian Prime Minister, Teen Murti Bhavan, has been converted into a museum.
Photographs and newspaper clippings on display give a fascinating
insight into the history of the independence movement.
During the tourist season there is a sound & light how about his life
and the independence movement. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10
am to 5 pm.
Rail Transport Museum
This museum at Chanakyapuri will be of great interest to anyone who becomes
fascinated by
India's exotic collection of railway engines. The
exhibit includes an 1855 steam engine, still in working order, and a large
number of oddities such as the skull of an elephant that charged a mail
train in 1894, and lost. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 am
to 5 pm.
Tibet House
This small museum has a fascinating c
ollection of ceremonial items
brought out of Tibet when the Dalai Lama fled following the Chinese
occupation. Downstairs is a shop selling a wide range of Tibetan
handicrafts. There are often lecture / discussion sessions. The museum is in
the Institutional Area, Lodi Rd. and hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 am
to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm.
International Dolls Museum
This
museum in Nehru House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
displays 6000 dolls
from 85 countries. Over a third of them are from India and one exhibit
comprises 500 dols in the costumes worn all over the country. The museum is
open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
Crafts Museum
Located in the Aditi Pavilion at the Pragati Maidan Exhibition Grounds,
Mathura Rd, this museum contains a
collection of traditional Indian
crafts in textiles, metal, wood and ceramics. The museum is part of a '
village life ' complex where you can visit rural India without ever leaving
Delhi. Opening hours are daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Gandhi Darshan
At Raj Ghat is the Gandhi Darshan, a
display of paintings and photos
about the Mahatma's life and deeds. The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, also
at Raj Ghat, has displays of some of Gandhi's personal possessions.
Indira Gandhi Memorial
Museum
The former residence of Indira Gandhi at Safdarjang Road has also been
converted into a museum.
On show are some of her personal effects,
including the sari (complete with blood stains) she was wearing at the time
of her assasination. Striking a somewhat a macabre note is the crystal
plaque in the garden, flanked constantly by two soldiers, which protects
a few brown spots of Mrs. Gandhi'' blood on the spot where she actually fell
after being shot by two of her Sikh bodyguards in Dec 1984.
Other museums
The Museum Of Natural History is opposite the Nepalese Embassy on
Barakhamba Road. Fronted by a large model dinosaur, it has a collection of
fossils, stuffed animals, and birsd, and a 'hands on ' discovery room for
children. It's open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
There is a National Philatelic Museum hidden in the post office at Dak
Bhavan, Sardar Patel Chowk on Sansad Marg (Parliament St). It's closed on
Saturday and Sunday. At Indira Gandhi International Airport there is an Air
Force Museum, open daily except Tuesday from 10 am to 1:30 pm.
