Government Museum, Egmore

The Government Museum, Egmore, stands on Pantheon Road in Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and is one of the oldest museums in India. It was founded in 1851 and grew into a multi-building campus containing galleries on archaeology, numismatics, anthropology, zoology, geology, natural history, art and contemporary art. The campus includes buildings in the Indo-Saracenic style, such as the Victorian-era main building with its domes and arcades, as well as the Connemara Public Library and the National Art Gallery nearby. The museum is best known for its collection of Chola bronzes, widely regarded as among the finest in South India, produced between the 9th and 13th centuries by the lost-wax method and depicting Shiva as Nataraja, Parvati, Vishnu and Hindu saints. The archaeology galleries hold the Amaravati marbles, carved limestone reliefs from the Buddhist stupa at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, dating from around the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE, along with prehistoric tools, Roman coins and inscribed stones. A children's museum, a bronze gallery and a contemporary art section add variety. The curatorial approach is thematic and building-by-building, with each gallery dedicated to a field, and displays are generally traditional with glass cases and printed labels. Restoration has been carried out on several of the historic buildings, although some galleries remain dated. Entry is low-cost for Indian nationals and higher for foreign nationals, and the museum opens from about 9:30AM to 5:00PM and closes on Fridays. A thorough visit takes two to three hours, and a half day is possible for those who want to see every gallery. The museum is a short ride from Egmore railway station and is a convenient first stop for understanding the art and archaeology of the Tamil country.