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National Museum |
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Located on Janpath just sough of
Rajpath, the National Museum has a good collection of Indian bronzes
terracotta and wood sculptress dating back to the Mauryan period ,
exhibits from the Vijayanagar period in sough India, miniature and
mural paintings, and costumes of the various tribal peoples. The
museum is definitely worth visiting and is open Tuesday to Sunday form
10 am to 5 pm. There are film shows most days of the week.
right next door is the Archaeological Survey of India office.
Publications available here cover all the main sites in India. Many of
these are not available at the particular sites themselves. |
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Nehru Museum |
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Located on Teen Murti Rd near
Chanakyapuri-the residence of the first Indian prime minister, Teen
Murti Bhavan has been converted into a museum. Photographs and
newspaper clippings on display give a fascinating insight into the
history of the independence movement.
During the tourist season there is a sound & light show about his life
and the independence movement. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday
from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission in free. |
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Rail Transport
Museum |
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This museum at Chanakyapuri will
be of great interest to anyone who becomes fascinated by India's
exotic collection of railway engines. The exhibit includes in 1855
steam engine, still in working order, and a large number of oddities
such as the skull of an elephant that charged a mail train in 1894,
and lost. See the boxed Graining section in the Getting Around chapter
for more details.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5 pm and there's
a small admission fee. |
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International
Dolls Museum |
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This museum is Nehru House on
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg displays 600 dolls from 85 countries. Over a
third of them are from India and one exhibit comprises 500 dolls in
the costumes worn all over the country. The museum is open Tuesday to
Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm. |
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Crafts Museum |
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Located in the Aditi Pailion at
the Pragati Maiden Exhibition Grounds, Mathura Rd, this museum
contains a collection of traditional Indian crafts in textiles, metal,
wood and ceramics. The museum is part of a Village life' complex where
you can visit rural India without ever leaving Delhi Opening hours are
daily from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Admission is free. |
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Indira Gandhi
Memorial Museum |
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The former residence of Indira
Gandhi at 1 Safdarjang Rd has also been converted into a museum. On
show are some of her personal effects, including the sari (complete
with blood stains) she was wearing at the time of her assassination
Striking a somewhat macabre note is the crystal plaque in the garden,
flanked constantly by tow soldiers, which protects a few brown spots
of Mrs. Gandhi's blood on the spot where she actually fell after being
shot by two of her Sikh bodyguards in December 1984. |
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Other Museums |
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The Museum of Natural History:- is
opposite the Nepalese Embassy on Barakhamba Rd. Fronted by a large
model dinosaur, it has a collection of fossils, stuffed animals and
birds, and a 'hands on' discovery room for children. It's open Tuesday
to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. |