Government Museum Bengaluru

A storehouse of rich historical and cultural significance is the Government Museum in the town of Bangalore. This prime position, located on the Kasturba Gandhi Road, was developed early in 1865. This museum is a perfect place for history buffs and the curious to fulfill their inherent quest for knowledge, encompassing a large arena consisting of 18 galleries, each of which houses its own unique sphere of interest. A multitude of objects such as art, pottery, coins from various periods of history such as the early Mohenjodaro, Vijayanagar, and the Chandravalli period are housed in this building.

On the advice of Edward G. Balfour, a medical officer of the Madras Army, Bowring founded the museum and moved it from Madras to Bangalore. Balfour proposed the creation of a museum similar to the one previously established in Madras in 1851. Balfour has a collection to display in the Museum of zoological and natural specimens. In Bangalore, the government museum was then known as the Mysore Government Museum.

The museum was first set up in the Cantonment prison complex. For 13 years, it continued to operate there until 1878. The prison building was deemed not suitable for a museum and a special museum building near the Cantonment was decided to be built. For the new museum, the existing museum site has been established. Col. Richard Hieram Sankey, the Chief Engineer of Mysore State at that time, designed and constructed the new museum (the present structure) in 1877.

The museum was popularly known as the house of tamasha (entertainment house). The museum is flanked by the Industrial and Technical Museum of Visvesvaraya and the Art Gallery of Venkatappa. The museum is centrally located on Kasturba road. The museum was designed in the neoclassical architectural style in 1877. On either side, it has two porticos, Corinthian columns, circular arches, sloping eaves, and prominent eaves.

The Bangalore Government Museum is situated on the campus of Cubbon Park, 5 km from the Majestic bus stand and 36 km from Bengaluru airport. The Government Museum can be reached from any part of Bengaluru City by Bengaluru Metro (Cubbon Park metro station is the nearest), bus, or taxi.

This place can be visited at any time of the year because it is a collection of antiques located inside a home. The building is not air-conditioned, so try to come either in the morning or a little later in the afternoon to have a more comfortable visit.

The entry fee is Rs.10 per adult and Rs.5 per child. The museum remains open from 10 AM to 5 PM, except for Monday. You need 3 to 4 hours at most for visiting the museum. Inside the museum’s grounds, photography is forbidden.