The National Museum of New Delhi is the first Museum of India. It has a great collection of artifacts from across the World. Maurice Gwyer Committee presented the idea of building this National Museum in Delhi in May 1946. The Royal Academy of London organized an exhibition with the cooperation of the Government of India and Britain. However, the success of the collection led to the opening of the National Museum in Delhi. It was inaugurated on August 15, 1949. The Governor-General of India, Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, did the honour.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, on May 12, 1955, laid the foundation of the present building. The museum contains nearly 2,00,000 objects of both Indian and foreign origin. Every Object currently in the museum is almost five thousand years old. However, the museum is a treasure for the Indians. It holds many valuable objects from our history.
National Museum – Prehistoric Archaeology Collection
Most of the archeological objects were from the Harappan excavation sites. Also, these objects include Bronze statues, Terracotta figurines, Seals, a Range of pottery, etc. However, the excavation sites also produced many household objects. The human skeletons were the most important among all these items.
Anthropology Collection
The National Museum has a vast anthropological collection. Also, these include 8,000 objects such as Terracotta, Textile, Basketry, Bone wood, Metal, paper, leather, etc. However, it also displays a vast range of textiles and garments. The excavated items suggested that people pursued many hobbies.
Arms and Armour Collection
The museum displays an excellent collection of Arms and Armours. Also, Indian weapons including bows, daggers, shields, helmets, back & foot armours. Also, armours used against animals for protection have their display. The Sword of Emperor Aurangzeb has a special place there.
Decorative Collections
Tiles & wood carvings, ceramic or metal utensils, and jewelry come under decorative. However, these beautiful pieces of art are a thing to behold.
Manuscripts Collections
It preserves 14,000 manuscripts written in various languages. The non-illustrated manuscripts are calligraphic.
Painting Collection
There are nearly 17,000 paintings. Also, it has a collection of many pictures in the country.
National Museum- Jewellery Collection
Jewellery from Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa to the Mughal era are also present there. These are one of the most valuable things in the museum. Every piece of jewelry has an essence of its era.
For more information regarding the National Museum, New Delhi, visit Google’s Arts & Culture
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Also, refer to National Museum India for more information about the collection of artefacts and many other fascinating things in the museum.
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