The
galleries of the museum follow a historical and chronological sequence.
The Indus Valley Gallery displays many antiquities excavated from Mohenjodaro
and Harappa, like terracotta toys, images and pots, jewellery, seals,
bronze and copper implements and sculpture. The most outstanding object
here is the lyrical bronze Dancing Girl.
The National Museum also has a rich collection of sculpture. All the major periods are represented here : Maurya, Sunga, Satavahana, Gupta, Pallava, Chalukya, Pala and Sena. Also on view are sculpture from Gandhara and Mathura.
The Bronze Gallery has some superb pieces from the Chola and Pallava period. Among these the Nataraja figure of Shiva and the Kaliya Mardan Krishna are all time greats. There are a number of rare manuscripts and miniature paintings, textiles, coins and tribal art. However, the museum's most significant gallery is the one of Central Asian exhibits.
Located on Janpath, National museum is one of the treasure houses of the our glorious past .The National Museum was formally inaugurated in 1949 by Governor-General R.C. Rajagopalachari and initially housed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan with selected artifacts from various museums of India. In 1955, the foundation stone of the present majestic building on the corner of Janpath and Maulana Azad Road was laid by Jawaharlal Nehru and the museum was shifted here and opened to visitors in 1960.
Now it is the largest museum in Delhi with around 2,00,000 exhibits of exquisite art both foreign and Indian, giving a detailed insight into Indian history and its cultural heritage. It is administered and financed by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.
National Museum in New Delhi show cases the most comprehensive collections of Indian art and artefacts. Spread over three spacious floors, it provides a comprehensive review of ethnological objects from the pre-historic archaelogical finds to the late medieval period.
The collections of Indus Valley Civilization, Brahminical, Jain and Buddhist sculptural antiques can be viewed here. The colourful paintings of the Mughals, Rajputs and the Deccans are praiseworthy.
Octogonal mini Quran, Babamama in Babar's handwriting, Jahangir's diary, over 300 varieties of musical instruments, textiles, an anthropoligical section and a handicrafts gallery enriches the museum. It also houses relics exacavated in Delhi region.
