National Museum, New Delhi

The National Museum in New Delhi is the largest museum in India. It holds variety of articles ranging from pre-historic era to modern works of art. It functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The museum is situated on the corner of Janpath and Maulana Azad Road.

It also houses the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology established in 1983 and now a Deemed University since 1989, and run Masters and Doctoral level courses in History of Art, Art Conservation and Art restoration.

On 15 August 1949, the National Museum was formally inaugurated by the Governor-General of India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. At that time, it was decided that until a permanent home could be found for the collection, it would continue to be housed at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The cornerstone of the present museum building was laid by J.L. Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, on 12 May 1955, and the building formally opened to the public on 18 December 1960.

Today, the museum is administered and funded by the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development

The museum has in its possession over 200,000 works of art, of both Indian and foreign origin, covering more than 5,000 years of Indian cultural heritage. Its rich holdings of various creative traditions and disciplines which represents a unity amidst diversity, an unmatched blend of the past with the present and strong perspective for the future, brings history to life.

The collections covers archaeology, arms, armour, decorative arts, jewellery, manuscripts, paintings, etc

Attractions