6 Offbeat Museums Across India That Make for the Perfect Monsoon Day Plan
For weekends when the rains play spoilsport to your plans, luckily, there are still old-school ways that hold in good stead. We’ve put together a list of six museums to check out. There’s nothing like feasting on some history on a rainy morning!
The museum is a living, breathing archive of Goan culture. It promises you an authentic walk down the yesteryears, a real treat for those whose knowledge of Goa comes shaped by the movies, pop culture references and their best friend’s tales. Goa is so much more.
The Big Foot Museum in Goa offers a captivating glimpse into Goan rural life as it existed a century ago
And the museum is where culture and heritage convene. Keep a lookout for the world’s longest laterite sculpture — a 14-foot-long statue of Saint Mira Bai — created by the founder of the museum, Maendra Alvares, who is also an entrepreneur and conservationist.
The 14-foot-long statue of Saint Mira Bai is the world’s longest laterite sculpture, Pictures source: Big Foot
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2. Museum of Solutions, Mumbai
A place where possibility and potential brim. Not your typical museum, the Museum of Solutions in Mumbai promises to unlock transformative experiences for your child. It’s the perfect fix for a rainy day, encouraging children to push the envelope on creativity.
As opposed to traditional museums where the objects take centre stage, at the Museum of Solutions, it’s the children who are the heroes — around them, worlds of ingenuity emerge. From mini art exhibitions, to workshops where they are encouraged to put on their finance caps and learn about mock banking and basic budgeting, this museum is a lesson in practicality.
Book your tickets here.
3. Gargoti, Nashik
India’s first gem, mineral and fossil museum, Gargoti, is a treasure haven — literally.
As someone who’s spent many a rainy day exploring its gleaming interiors, I can attest that it will leave you in awe. You’re in for a day feasting your eyes on precious stones mined from the depths of the Earth, over 10,000 specimens of crystals, minerals, gems, fossils, handicrafts and even meteorite specimens and fossils!
Gargoti in Nashik houses many specimens of crystals such as the powellite (L), minerals, gems and even fossils, Picture source: Gargoti
The museum is the brainchild of Krishna Chandra Pandey, a retired chief air artificer of the Indian Navy whose passion for collecting rare crystals goes back four decades. The Gargoti Museum is the result of his hard work — a living custodian of priceless treasures.
Book your tickets here.
4. Shankar’s International Doll Museum, Delhi
With a collection boasting over 6000 dolls from over 85 countries, Shankar’s International Doll Museum is where children’s fantasy world comes alive. The bohemian-themed museum was set up by political cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai and is no ordinary feat. Every doll here is well thought through, right from the dress to the jewellery — everything is reflective of the doll’s origins, and the culture it represents.
The Shankar International Doll Museum boasts over 6000 dolls from over 85 countries, Picture source: Namrata Singh
An interesting anecdote is of how the costume dolls section at the museum came into being. The story goes that Shankar was so fond of the doll that he received from the Hungarian ambassador in the early fifties, and that he was supposed to give away as a prize at ‘Shankar’s International Children’s Competition’, that he decided to keep the doll for himself. This set the precedent for him collecting costume dolls on his trips abroad.
Book your tickets here.
5. Heritage Transport Museum, Gurugram
Browse and admire vestiges of the past — India’s brilliant transport systems through the ages — at this museum. From vintage and classic cars to detailed explanations of the evolution of the automotive industry, the Heritage Transport Museum is where every transport aficionado will be fascinated. While at the museum, you might want to check out the section featuring public utility vehicles, which celebrates India’s legacy of buses with an exhibition of restored buses and truck art.
From pre-mechanised to modern modes of transport, and their integration of socio-cultural life and art, the Heritage Transport Museum in Goa is a unique repository
The Heritage Transport Museum in Gurugram features India’s brilliant transport systems through the ages
There’s also the section featuring transport that thrives in India’s inland waterways through the eyes of Calcutta boats, aquatints, and two life-sized boats.
Then there’s the tram gallery, which features Tram Car No. 204, acquired from Calcutta Tramways in September 2017, and stands as one of the last surviving wood-bodied trams in India.
Book your tickets here.
6. Mehrangarh Fort Museum, Jodhpur
Boasting a beautiful selection of miniatures, 19th-century decorative arts, and memorabilia from the past, is the Mehrangarh Fort Museum in Jodhpur. What’s fascinating is that every month, an object finds itself in the spotlight, to celebrate its origins and beckon visitors to delve deeper into its history. Take, for instance, the jhula (swing) from the late 19th century. Made from soapstone, copper, and iron, the swing is reminiscent of celebrations that used to be commonplace in the palace gardens.
The Mehrangarh Fort Museum in Jodhpur gives people a peek into royal life through frescoes, Picture source: Mehrangarh Fort
In addition to spotlighting these cultural emblems, the Mehrangarh Museum has collections spanning the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries which range from miniature paintings, arms and armour, textiles, decorative arts and furniture. Also explore the Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal, and the Palanquin Gallery in the museum.
Book your tickets here.
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