Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

The Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is a cultural museum in Shukrawar Peth, Pune, housing the personal collection of Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar dedicated to his son Raja. Established in 1962, it displays over 2,500 artifacts from a repository of more than 20,000 objects representing Indian decorative arts and everyday life from the 14th to 19th centuries. The three-storey building features sculptures, musical instruments, ornaments, weapons, and a recreated Mastani Mahal.

Visitors can explore a three-storey building containing galleries of Indian decorative arts, including carved door frames, ivory and silver ornaments, musical instruments, weapons, and paintings mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. Key exhibits include the recreated Mastani Mahal, string puppets from Odisha, shadow puppets from Karnataka, and wooden sculptures. The museum offers an elevator at the entrance and has toilet facilities available for visitors.

Established in 1962 by Dr. Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896–1990) as a tribute to his deceased son Raja, the museum's collection began around 1920 and grew to 15,000 objects by 1984. Dr. Kelkar donated the entire collection to the Government of Maharashtra in 1992, preserving artifacts spanning from the 14th century through the 19th century that document Indian decorative arts and daily life.

The museum preserves and showcases India's material culture and everyday art traditions, featuring handicrafts, decorative objects, and artistic expressions from various regions across the country. Its collection represents diverse Indian art forms including wood carving, metalwork, textile arts, puppetry, and musical heritage, serving as an important repository of indigenous craftsmanship and cultural memory.