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Museums in West Bengal

Indian Museum, Calcutta

The Indian Museum is India's first and oldest museum. Originally part of the Asiatic Society, it opened to public in 1875. Here, in the Bharhut Room, Sunga art is dramatically represented by the railings and gateway that have been reassembled to form the outer wall encompassing a stupa. These are the remains of a Buddhist stupa discovered in 1873 in Bharhut, a village in Madhya Pradesh. Carved in red sandstone, quarried from the Vindhyas, it is believed to be similar in scale and design to the great Sanchi stupa. An inscription on a pillar of the gateway informs us that this was constructed in the 2nd century BC, during the Sunga period.

The railings arc decorated with bas reliefs depicting both religious and secular themes. Some are figurative while others are narrative panels, illustrating scenes from the Jatafetis and stories from the Buddha's former lives. Brief labels on the panels help identify the story or iconography. The 500 reliefs here characterise the inherent simplicity of this school of art, claimed to be one of the most important remains of the post Mauryan period. The labels make them the earliest inscribed sculpture of India.

India's best collection of Gandhara sculpture is here with a large number of Buddhist, relics from the Mahayana period. The Numismatic Gallery is also one of the best in the country, displaying coins of great craftsmanship, ranging right from the 5th century BC punch marked coins, through the Gupta period 10 the Mughal period.

Indian Museum
27Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Calcutta 700 001

Timing: 10.00 am to 4.30 pm
Closed on Mondays and government holidays