India's largest and oldest important museum, this property is charmingly old-fashioned and occupies a sizable colonnaded palace surrounded by a central garden. Over 1,00,000 objects from a variety of human knowledge domains, including art, archaeology, anthropology, geology, zoology, and economic botany, are shown in its 35 galleries. 2,000-year-old sculptures such as the opulent Bharhut Gateway, authentic Egyptian mummies, and strange jars containing pickled human embryos are all there. There is a huge whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling, and we discovered 37 different types of opium in a room that resembled a wizard's library. And there are also seven kilograms of rings and bangles in the stomach of a gigantic crocodile!
The Asiatic Society of Bengal, a group of academics and novices who wished to gather and conserve India's natural and cultural history, founded it in 1814. In 1878, the museum relocated to its current location after first occupying the Asiatic Society building. Walter B. Granville, who also designed the GPO and the Calcutta High Court, created the museum building. Exhibitions, talks, workshops, publications, and outreach initiatives are just a few of the events and activities that the museum hosts.
Google Rating: 4.5/5
Timings: 10 AM - 6 PM. Closed on Mondays.
Entry: INR 75 per person
Contact: 033 2252 1790
Website: indianmuseumkolkata.org
LBB Tip: Avoid weekends, it gets heavily crowded. If you want to click photographs, you will need special permission. Do not carry huge backpacks as they are not allowed.