Write short note on Museums in India.

Museums:

The museums are repositories of great cultural wealth. The British were the pioneers in establishing the museums in India around the 19th century. They began by setting up institutions like the Geological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey but soon after fascinated by the India’s ancient past. They established Archeological Survey and the Asiatic Society and their purpose was to specialize the old and rich culture of India. Gradually as the collections grew. The British took the initiative to set up museums. The first Indian museum was established in Kolkata in 1875.

Slowly the individuals belonging to educated upper classes due to the nationalist sentiments started collecting materials and placed them in the form of museums. The pioneering work done by these individuals can be seen in Ashutosh Museum of Indian Art in Kolkata, the Tata collections in the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, the Calico Museum in Ahmedabad and Raja Kelkar Museum in Pune. Besides these other important museums of India are :

• The National Museum.
• The Crafts Museum.
• The National Gallery of Modern Art.
• The Gandhi Memorial Museum at Raj Ghat.
• The Utensils Museum, and
• The Salarjung Museum.