Location : Vadodara, Gujarat

Constructed In : 1894

Significance : Great historic and ancient importance

Highlights : 22metre blue whale skeleton

One of the best museums of Gujarat is the famous Vadodara Museum. It is the right place to learn and know more about the past of eastern Gujarat. The museum is home to beautiful sculptures, pottery, carvings, ceramics and bronze images. Nearly 800-1000 people visit this museum every day. One needs to spend atleast 3 hours to explore this massive museum. The museum consists of a wide collection of paintings and artefacts that were once owned by the Mughals. The collection here is sources from all parts of world. It exhibits natural history, zoology and earth science. There are coins and sculptures from Tibet, Japan, Egypt and Nepal that have images of Indian musical instruments engraved on them. The 22 metre blue whale skeleton is one of the most interesting things displayed in the museum.

History

The famous Vadodara Museum was constructed in 1894. It is located in sayaji garden of Baroda. The museum is a repository of rare specimens of the Mughal era. It is a store house to various Tibetan arts and sculptures. The collection of miniatures is another interesting part of the museum. Maharaja Savjirao Gaekward III founded this museum in the year 1887. However, the construction of the museum building got completed in 1894. Soon after its construction, it was open to the public.

Sections of the Museum

Coin Section

As soon as one enters the museum, one can view a lovely collection of coins. The coins displayed in the museum are as old as 1768. Each coin is appropriately labeled as per the culture and date it belongs to. The labeling of coins preserves their identity. There are also gold coins which represent the treasure of Gaekward rulers of Vadodara. Some coins also represent landmark events in the lives of rulers such as the birth of a child or a victory in war.

Weapons Section

Another section subordinate to the coin section is the weapon section. This section has interesting hand knives and swords on display. These weapons were once used by the kings during ancient wars. They are preserved and displayed at the museum.

Clock Section

There is a collection of antique clocks at this museum. Some of these clocks are 180 years old and yet functioning well. There is a masterpiece clock, which is about 6 feet tall. The pendulum of the clock is in the shape of the state of Baroda to include the earth, sun and moon designs. An earth with entire Indian map is designed over the pendulum. The staff of the museum rotates the clock after every twenty-four hours in order to keep it functioning.

Picture Gallery Section

The second floor of the beautiful museum comprises a picture gallery. This gallery has innovative wall paintings created by Nandal Bose a famous Bengali painter of the golden era. The gallery consists of around 48 paintings with a peculiar feature hidden inside each of them. Visitors may also require guides to help them to comprehend the hidden meaning of those paintings. There are also some nude pictures on display here, which are precious and showcase the eroticism of that era.

Ancient Section

The most fascinating section of the museum, this one has an Egyptian mummy. The pre-historic Egyptian mummy is around 500 years old. It belongs to a young female who is around 20 years of age. The mummy is nicely preserved with all its details written clearly on top of it.

Animal Section

The rulers of Baroda were fond of hunting. This section showcases some of the rare hunts of erstwhile rulers. The rulers hunted wild animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, leopards and bears. These are stored and preserved by stuffing them.

Skeleton Section

Skeletons of some animals hunted are also displayed at the museum. The skeleton of a 22 metre whale is displayed at the basement of the museum.  This whale was spotted on the shores of Dabka, which is located about 25 miles away from the city of Baroda. Skeletons of African giraffe and zebra are also kept inside the museum.

There are also some shops located close to the museum. One can buy artificial skeletons or replicas of paintings and sculptures seen at the museum. The size of these paintings is similar to the real ones and they are made using ceramic. The museum is sure to render a nostalgic experience to the visitor. One should definitely visit the museum next time when one visits Vadodara.