Story of a Country Seen Through its Historical Artifacts: Magnificent Museums in India

A traveller is a curious animal by nature, and wants to experience the pulse of the place. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to visit every monument, landmark and place of significance in a tightly packed trip. That's why museums in India are an excellent way to understand the history, society and culture.

It is a one-stop shop for holistic understanding of a destination before you venture off to specific locations of interest.

Here is the list of seven museums in India that will broaden your understanding of the nation:

1: National Museum in Delhi

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This is the largest in the list of museums in India and spans articles from the pre-historic era to the modern works of art. Jewelry, paintings, armors, decorative, antiquities all find a place here. The priced possession of this museum is the Buddha Stupa, having remnants of Gautam Buddha, constructed in the 3rd century by King Ashoka.

2: India Museum in Kolkata

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Established in 1814, it is one of the oldest museums in India as well as on the globe. There are rare paintings, skeletons of primitive animals and a collection of 50,000 coins. An Egyptian mummy is another interesting exhibit at the museum.

3: Rail Museum in Delhi

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This museum contains 100 real life displays of the Indian rails. Some highlights at the museum are antique furnitures, historical photographs, and signalling tools. The toy train offers a fun ride for the visitors and is a favourite among children.

4: Napier Museum in Thiruvananathpuram

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Napier Museum is the keeper of Kerala's rich culture and heritage. It's objet d'art includes chariots and bronze idols of dietes, musical instruments and kathakali puppet models. The musemum is an architectural masterpiece having a gothic roof, and natural air conditioning system.

5: Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad

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This museum is one of the most popular attractions in Hyderabad andrenowned as the largest one-man collection of the world. It contains a fine collection of marble structures, textiles, metallic arts, clocks and lot more from India, China, Egypt and North America.

6: Calico Museum in Ahmedabad

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Calico museum, situated in a wood-carved Haveli, is right up there with the best textile museums in the world. India's most gorgeous fabrics are on display at this museum. Some of these fabrics were even used by the Mughal rulers.

7:Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai

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A stone's throw from the iconic Gateway of India, the Prince of Whales Museum is divided into three sections: art, archaeology and natural history. There are ancient Indus Valley artifact, Tibetan and Nepali arts on display. Many visitors come here to see the collection of miniature paintings from different art schools in India.

That's not all! A few other museums in India worth a visit are Bhau Daj Lad (Mumbai), Hawa Mahal (Jaipur), INS Kurusura Submarine (Vishakhapatnam)and Antropological Museum (Port Blair). Click here to read about some unusual museums. Drop in a line about your experience at these places.