National Museum of India facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Museum, New Delhi

The front view
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Established	15 August 1949
Location	Janpath, New Delhi, India
Key holdings	List Dancing Girl (sculpture) Ivory Carved Dashavtar Ivory carved tusk depicting Buddha life stories Jade collection Some of the Akota Bronzes Carved wood vahanas
Collection size	206,000 objects
Architect	Ganesh Bikaji Deolalikar
Owner	Indian Government
Public transit access	Udyog Bhawan

The National Museum in New Delhi, also called the National Museum of India, is one of the biggest museums in India. It opened in 1949 and has many different items, from ancient times to modern art. It is run by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India. The museum is located on Janpath and holds about 200,000 artworks. Most of these are Indian, but some are from other countries, covering over 5,000 years of history.

The museum also has a special school on its first floor. This school, called the National Museum Institute, teaches about art history, how to fix old artworks (conservation), and how museums work (museology). It started in 1983 and became a university in 1989.

Discovering India's Past: The National Museum

The idea for a National Museum in India came up in 1946. A group called the Gwyer Committee suggested it. The museum's story began with a big art show in London in 1947-48. This show displayed amazing Indian art and objects.

After the London show, it was decided that these important collections should come back to India. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, supported this idea. The goal was for people in India to enjoy and learn from these treasures. On August 15, 1949, the collections were first shown in the grand rooms of the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's House). C. Rajagopalachari, who was the Governor General of India, officially opened the display.

Building for the new, permanent National Museum started in 1955 at its current location in Janpath. The new museum building was ready in 1960.

Grace Morley was the first director of the National Museum. She started in 1960 and worked there for six years. She believed that art should be for everyone. She helped set up the museum's displays in a modern way. Her ideas helped the museum become known around the world.

Exploring the Museum's Collections

The National Museum has many different sections, each focusing on a special type of art or history. Here are some of them:

• Pre-History Archaeology (very old tools and objects)
• Archaeology (ancient objects and ruins)
• Manuscripts (old handwritten books)
• Numismatics & Epigraphy (coins and inscriptions)
• Paintings (artworks)
• Arms & Armour (weapons and protective gear)
• Decorative Arts (beautiful everyday objects)
• Central Asian Antiquities (old items from Central Asia)
• Pre-Columbian Art (art from before Columbus came to America)
• Jewellery (ornaments)
• Anthropology (study of human cultures)
• Education (learning programs)
• Public Relations (connecting with visitors)
• Publication (books and materials)
• Conservation (preserving old items)
• Display (how things are shown)

The museum has over 200,000 artworks from India and other countries. Only a small part of the collection is shown at one time. The rest are rotated or displayed in special temporary shows.

The Museum Building: A Closer Look

The current National Museum building was designed by Ganesh Bikaji Deolalikar. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid its first stone on May 12, 1955. India's Vice-President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, opened the new museum on December 18, 1960.

The building was planned to be built in stages to eventually look like an octagon. The first part was finished in 1960, and the second in 1989. The museum building has three floors. Galleries spread out from a central garden area.

Amazing Collections and Galleries

Harappan Civilization Gallery

This gallery shows many items from the ancient Harappan civilization, also known as the Indus Valley civilization. It has over 3,500 objects, including the famous Dancing Girl statue made of bronze. This statue is from the early Harappan period. You can also see skeletons from Rakhigarhi, clay figures of the Mother Goddess, and pottery.

The gallery also displays many seals. These seals were found during digs and were likely used for trading. They show animals like bulls, elephants, and tigers. One seal even shows a figure called Pasupati, which some believe is an early form of the god Shiva.

When the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro was dug up in the 1920s, many important finds were made. After India became independent, the objects were divided between India and Pakistan. India kept the bronze Dancing Girl statue.

Some key items in this gallery are:

• Mother Goddess (2700–2100 BC)
• Toy Cart (2700–2100 BC)
• Dancing Girl (2700–2100 BC)

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  Toy cart from Mohenjo-daro

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  Perforated Jar

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  Seals

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  Arms from Harappan Civilization

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  Bowl

Maurya, Shunga, and Satvahana Arts Gallery

This gallery features objects from the 4th to 1st centuries BCE. These items come from three important ancient Indian kingdoms: the Mauryas, the Shungas, and the Satvahanas. Many objects here show Greek influences and have a shiny, mirror-like finish.

You can also see parts of old railings from Stupas (Buddhist shrines). These carvings tell stories from Buddha's life. During this time, Buddha was not shown as a human figure. Instead, symbols like the Dharmachakra (wheel of law), the Bodhi tree, an empty throne, or footprints were used to represent him.

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  Male Heads (Maurya period)

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  A Child Learning Brahmi Script, Srughna, 2nd century BCE

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  Woman in Grief (Shunga period)

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  Railig from Barhut Stupa showing the Last Episode of Buddha's Life

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  Asita visiting King Suddhodana (Satvahana period)

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  Different Symbols of Buddha

Kushana Gallery

This gallery displays art from the Kushan period (1st to 3rd centuries CE). Two main art styles were popular then: the Gandhara School and the Mathura School. The Gandhara style was heavily influenced by Greek art and mostly showed Buddhist themes.

A very important object here is the Standing Buddha. It's made of grey stone and is from the Gandhara style (2nd century CE). This was the first time Buddha was shown in human form! The Mathura style also showed Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu themes.

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  Buddha (Human Figure)

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  Kuber (God of Wealth)

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  Ayagapata, Jain votive plaque

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  "Laughing boy", stucco from Gandhara, 2nd–3rd century CE

Gupta Gallery

This gallery shows amazing artworks from the Gupta dynasty (4th–6th centuries CE). This time is often called a "golden age" for Indian art. Sculptures from this period are known for their perfect shapes and clear features. They set the standard for beauty for many centuries after.

• Sculptures showing scenes from the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata:

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  Scenes from Mahabharata

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  Rama redeeming Ahilya (Ramayana)

• Other sculptures:

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  Vishnu

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  Mukhalinga of Shiva, 5th century CE

Medieval Arts Gallery

This section has sculptures from the medieval period, divided into two parts: Early and Late.

Early Medieval Artefacts

This gallery shows sculptures from the 7th to 10th centuries. After the Gupta Empire, India was ruled by many different kingdoms. Art quality changed during this time, as many temples were being built.

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  Vishnu (Pallava dynasty)

Late Medieval Artefacts

This gallery has sculptures from the 10th to 13th centuries. During this time, India was divided into even more smaller kingdoms.

Key items in this gallery include:

• Sun God
• Saraswati, the goddess of music and learning. Her marble statue from Rajasthan is very detailed and beautiful.

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  Surya (From Sun Temple, Konarak)

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  Neminatha (22nd Jain Tirthankar), 11th century

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  Jain Chaumukha Sculpture, 12th century

Decorative Arts Gallery

Decorative arts are beautiful objects that are also useful. This collection shows how people lived in India from the 16th to the 20th century. It includes things like pottery, furniture, textiles, glassware, metalware, and jewelry. The Decorative Arts section is split into two galleries.

Decorative Arts Gallery 1

This gallery shows collections of ivory, jade, and ceramics. The ivory section has religious figures. The jade section shows useful objects. The ceramics include glazed tiles and blue-white pottery.

You can also see themes like "Thrones of India" and "Games and Leisure in the Past." The thrones show how the seats of power changed over time. The games section has rattles, yo-yos, and chess pieces. The museum's Jade Collection has interesting items from the Mughal period.

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  Main Article: Ivory Carved Dashavatara Shrine.

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  Jahangir's Jade hookah.

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  Jade Surahi (flask) from Mughal era

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  Gyan chauper.

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  Throne of the Raja of Varanasi

Decorative Arts Gallery 2

This gallery has items from ancient times to today. It shows metalware, jewelry, and wooden objects. The wooden Vahanas (vehicles for deities) are especially notable.

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  Wooden Garuda Vahana (mount) from Tamil Nadu

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  Wooden Horse (Vahana from Tanjore)

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  Dwarpala

Miniature Paintings Gallery

Miniature paintings are small, detailed artworks. The National Museum has one of the world's largest collections, with over 17,000 paintings. They are on paper, cloth, wood, and ivory, and cover 900 years of Indian art.

Mughal Miniature Paintings

Miniature painting became very popular during the Mughal rule. Emperors like Jahangir and Shahjahan loved art. Painters in their courts created scenes of portraits, landscapes, and royal events.

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  Nature Study (Early Mughal)

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  Babur crossing the River Saun by Jaganath, Folio from a Baburnama, 1598

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  Jahangir holding a picture of Madonna, c. 1620

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  Nativity, c. 1720-1725

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  Marriage procession of Dara Shikoh, c. 1740-1750

Central India Miniature Paintings

These paintings come from regions like Malwa and Bundelkhand in Central India.

Rajasthan Miniature Paintings

Rajasthani Miniatures thrived in places like Mewar, Bundi, and Jaipur. Mewar paintings often show Hindu stories. Kota is known for hunting scenes. Kishangarh is famous for its Bani Thani, a painting of an ideal woman.

Pahari Miniature Paintings

Pahari schools of painting were strong in areas like Basohli and Kangra. Kangra became very important under Maharaja Sansar Chand in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

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  Nanda and other Cowherds moving to Vrindavana (Based on the story of the Bhagvata-Purana)

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  Illustration of Guru Granth Sahib

Buddhist Artifacts Gallery

This section is famous for the sacred bone relics of Buddha (from the 5th–4th century BC). These were found in Piprahwa, Uttar Pradesh. The inscription on a box found there talks about Buddha's relics. Later digs found more relics. This site is believed to be ancient Kapilavastu, Buddha's hometown.

The gallery also shows beautiful Buddhist art in stone, bronze, terracotta, and painted scrolls (like Thangkas). These items come from places like Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

Some key items include:

• Adoration of Stupa, 3rd century AD
• Standing Buddha, 2nd–3rd century AD
• Sacred Relics from Kapilavastu, 5th–4th century BC

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  Head of Buddha

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  Buddha's relics, from a stupa built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.

Evolution of Indian Scripts and Coins Gallery

This gallery shows how different Indian scripts and coins have changed over time. You can see large, lit displays explaining their development.

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  Inside the Galleries of National Museum, New Delhi

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  Inside the Galleries of National Museum, New Delhi

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  Inside the Galleries of National Museum, New Delhi

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  Inside the Galleries of National Museum, New Delhi

Bronze Gallery

The Bronze Gallery shows amazing bronze artworks and sculptures from India. It has a new layout that helps visitors understand the items better.

You can see four excellent Buddha statues from Phophnar, Madhya Pradesh. There are also Pala bronzes from the 8th to 10th centuries, mostly showing Buddhist themes from Nalanda in Bihar. Bronzes from the Himalayan region, like Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, are also displayed.

Some key items include:

• Vishnu Vaikuntha, Kashmir, 9th century AD
• Nataraja, Chola, Tamil Nadu, 12th century AD
• Kaliya-Mardan Krishna, Early Chola, 10th century AD

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  Shiva dancing Nataraja, Chola 12th century CE, Bronze

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  Parsvanatha, Maitraka, 9th century, Akota, Gujarat

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  Parsvanatha, 1062 CE, Western India,

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  Chaubisi of Kunthunatha, 1465 CE, Western India

Manuscripts Gallery

The museum has over 14,000 handwritten books and texts, with about 1,000 of them illustrated. These manuscripts are in many different languages and scripts. They are written on materials like parchment, birch bark, palm leaves, cloth, paper, and metals. They cover various religions and periods from the 7th to the 19th centuries.

Some key items include:

• Baburnama, Persian, Paper, AD 1598
• Jain Kalpa sutras, Prakrit, Paper, 15th century AD

Coins Gallery

The Coins Gallery has over 130,000 coins! Some of the rarest coins date back to the 6th century BC, when coins first appeared in India. The gallery shows 1,669 coins, plus replicas and old measuring tools.

You can see almost all Indian coins, from the earliest ones to those from British India and after independence. The gallery shows the entire history of Indian money from about 6th century BCE to the early 21st century. There are also displays showing how coins were made. These coins are a great source of information about India's ancient, medieval, and modern history.

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  View of the different methods over time

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  View of the Coins Gallery

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  This is the Copper Vase which contained the 1821 gold Coins of the Gupta era found at Bayana, District Bharatpur, Rajasthan

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  Chandragupta with his Wife

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  Chandragupta I

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  Samudragupta

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  Samudragupta playing Veena

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  Ashvamedha Coins

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  Jahangir's Coins

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  British Indian coins, 18th century CE

Central Asian Gallery

This gallery's large collection was gathered by Sir Aurel Stein, a famous explorer from the early 1900s. He found these items from over 100 ancient cities along the Silk Route. The collection includes wall paintings, silk banners, sculptures, coins, pottery, and old documents.

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  Buddha in Dharmachakra Mudra

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  Buddha in the Central Asian Arts Gallery

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  A tablet containing Kharoshti Script

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  Part of a wall painting showing Buddha with his disciples

Maritime Heritage Gallery

This gallery on the first floor shows India's rich history with the sea. It has various objects, photos, and dioramas (small models) that tell the story of India's maritime past. It was set up in 1991.

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  A view of the Maritime Gallery

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  Inside the Gallery

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  Different objects exhibited

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  A diorama showing Maratha naval tactics

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  Entrance to the Maritime Heritage Gallery

Tanjore and Mysore Paintings Gallery

This gallery shows paintings from two famous South Indian art styles: Tanjore and Mysore. These paintings often show Hindu gods like Krishna, Rama, and Shiva, as well as kings and saints.

Tanjore paintings use real gold and silver foil, precious stones, beads, and mirrors. Mysore paintings are found on cloth, paper, and wood.

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  View of the Gallery

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  Rama Darbar (Coronation of Rama at Ayodhya)

Textiles Gallery

This gallery displays traditional Indian textiles from the later Mughal period. You can see cotton, silk, and woolen fabrics that are woven, printed, dyed, and embroidered.

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  View of the Textiles Gallery

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  Another view of the Textiles Gallery

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  A view of the shawls in the Textiles Gallery. The shawls are from Kashmir

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  Pichwai on Net

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  Rumal made by Kalam Kaari Technique

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  Pitara Box in the Textiles Gallery

• Royal Chamber: This special area shows how textiles were used in royal settings. It has an embroidered silk carpet, cloth ceilings, and printed wall coverings.

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  Use of textiles in the tent of rajas

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  Another view of use of textiles in the tent of rajas

Pre-Columbian and Western Arts Gallery

This collection was given by Mr. and Mrs. Heeramaneek. It shows art from the time before Christopher Columbus arrived in North and South America. The objects are mainly from Mexico, Peru, Maya, Inca, and other parts of Central and South America.

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  View of the gallery containing artefacts from the pre-Columbian times

Understanding Human Cultures: Anthropology Department

The Anthropology Department collects objects that show different human cultures. It has tribal and folk art that are part of India's rich heritage.

Tribal Lifestyle of North East India Gallery

This gallery is all about the states of North-East India, known as the Seven Sisters and One Brother (Sikkim) States. These eight states have amazing handicrafts, performing arts, and unique traditions. This gallery shows traditional clothes, headgears, ornaments, paintings, wood carvings, and other items from various tribal groups.

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  A View of the Different Masks Present in the NorthEast Tribal Lifestyle Gallery

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  A View of the North East Tribal Lifestyle Gallery

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  A View of the Different Headgears in the Tribal Lifestyle Gallery

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  Coat made up of Fibre, Human Hair and Cotton

Sharan Rani Bakliwal Musical Instruments Gallery

The musical instruments in this gallery were given to the museum by Mrs. Sharan Rani Backliwal, a famous Indian Sarod player. The collection includes tribal, folk, and classical instruments. There are also some Western instruments from the 1800s. The instruments are grouped into wind, string, and percussion types.

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  View of the Musical Instruments

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  Larger view of the Gallery

Wood Carving Gallery

This gallery shows wood carvings from India, Nepal, and Tibet. It highlights India's wood carving traditions from the 17th to 19th centuries. You can see decorative items, useful objects, parts of buildings, and sculptures. The oldest wood carving here is a square pillar from the 9th century.

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  The Mandap kept in the Wood Carving gallery

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  Inner view of the Wooden Mandap

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  Inner view of the Wooden Mandap

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  Carved Door from Gujarat

Arms and Armour Gallery

This gallery displays weapons from the Stone Age up to modern times. The collection includes swords, daggers, bows, arrows, guns, and armor for both people and animals. Most of the collection is from the Mughal period, but there are also many items from the Maratha, Sikh, and Rajput kingdoms.

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  Arms from Stone & Bronze Age

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  Body Armour of Aurangzeb

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  Bow & Arrow of Bahadur Shah Zafar II, Sword & Dagger of Aurangzeb and Battle Axe of Nadir Shah

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  Shield of Maharana Sangram Singh II

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  Metamorphosis, Artist Alex Sastoque [1]

The gallery also shows a special sculpture called "Metamorphosis" by Colombian artist Alex Sastoque. It's made from a melted AK-47 rifle shaped into a shovel. This artwork symbolizes turning weapons into tools for peace and cultivation.

Anubhav: A Tactile Experience

In 2015, the National Museum, with help from UNESCO, opened a new gallery for visitors with disabilities. This gallery, called "Anubhav: A Tactile Experience," has touchable copies of 22 museum objects. It also has audio guides, ramps, and labels in Braille. This allows everyone to explore and feel the objects on display. For example, you can touch a large, recreated coin from the 1800s.

Museum Operations and Future

The National Museum is managed by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India. It started growing its collections and staff more after 1957. Many valuable items have been given to the museum by private collectors over the years.

The museum also has an auditorium that seats 250 people. Here, you can watch short films about the museum and its collections, as well as films about art, history, and heritage.

Digital Museum: Online Access

The National Museum is working to put its collections online. They use a special software called 'JATAN' to create digital copies of objects. This helps researchers and anyone interested to see the museum's treasures from anywhere.

The museum has also shared many of its objects with the Google Art Project. This means you can see high-quality photos and descriptions of over a hundred items from the National Museum on the Google Cultural Institute website. This makes the museum's collection available to many more people around the world.

Special Exhibitions

The Indo-Siam Connect

The museum held a special exhibition called "Indo-Siam Connect" from February to May. It celebrated 75 years of friendship between India and Thailand. The exhibition showed how both countries share a long history, culture, and religious traditions. It highlighted how ideas, art, and beliefs traveled between India and Thailand over centuries.

The exhibition showed many items from the National Museum's own collection, like pottery, sculptures, paintings, and textiles. It also included copies of ancient Thai art, masks, and musical instruments, contributed by the Royal Thai Embassy. This exhibition helped visitors see the strong connections and shared heritage between India and Thailand.

See also

• Carved wood vahanas in National Museum
• Gyan chauper
• Ivory Carved Dashavtar
• Ivory carved tusk depicting Buddha life stories
• Jade Collection in National Museum