Indian Museum

The Indian Museum in Kolkata is the oldest and largest museum in India, located on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in the Park Street area. Founded in 1814 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal, it houses extensive collections across six sections including Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Botany. Notable for its Egyptian mummy, Bharhut sculptures, Ashokan pillar and rare fossils, it is a major cultural and educational institution.

Visitors can explore a large heritage building with 35 galleries spread across three floors organized into six sections. Expect to see archaeological artifacts including Bharhut stupa remains and Ashokan relics, an Egyptian gallery with a 4,000-year-old mummy, natural history galleries with fossils and skeletons, art and textile collections, and anthropological exhibits. The museum has wide corridors, central courtyards, display cases and information panels, with guided tours available.

Founded in 1814 at the initiative of Danish botanist Dr. Nathaniel Wallich under the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the Indian Museum is the oldest museum in India and the ninth oldest museum in the world. Initially housed in the Asiatic Society building, it moved to its present building designed by Walter R. Granville and completed in 1875. It was originally known as the Imperial Museum and played a key role in the development of museology and scientific research in India.

The museum preserves India's cultural heritage through its collections of ancient sculptures, Buddhist art, coins, paintings and anthropological objects representing diverse communities. It serves as a major educational and research institution and is regarded as a landmark of Kolkata's cultural identity, commonly known as Jadughar.