Art Galleries & Museums

Tagore memorial museum or Rabindra Bhavana is established in 1942 at Santhiniketan and is a place reverberating with the memory of the famous poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. This Bhavana displays the personal collections of Rabindranath Tagore and also the gifts presented to him from India and abroad.

A library and a general section with spectacular collection of paintings, letters written by celebrities and manuscripts are enclosed in this centre. Tagore’s photographs depicting his lifestyles and voice records are also displayed here. Entry is free of cost.

The Shri Pratap Singh museum is in Lal Mandi, just south of the river between zero bridge and Amira Kadal. It has an interesting collection of exhibits relevant to Kashmir including illustrated tiles excavated near Harwan.

Pratap Singh Museum, erstwhile summer palace of Kashmir Kings, is a historically important museum in Srinagar established in 1898. The museum has valuable ancient terracotta heads of 3rd century from the Buddhist site at Ushkur and molded terracotta plaques of 4th and 5th century from Harwan. These attract many to this museum.

An ancient brass model of Lokeshvara, copper image of Lord Buddha in 5th century Gandhara-style and the green stone structures of Lord Vishnu pretty sitting on Garuda are added attractions here.

Everest Museum and Mountaineering Museum are entered through the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Zoo. The zoo and the two museums are run by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which trains mountaineers.

The mountaineering museum has a grand collection of historical mountaineering equipment, specimens of Himalayan flora and fauna, and a relief model of the Himalayas.

Everest Museum and Mountaineering Museum are entered through the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Zoo. The zoo and the two museums are run by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which trains mountaineers.

The mountaineering museum has a grand collection of historical mountaineering equipment, specimens of Himalayan flora and fauna, and a relief model of the Himalayas.

Everest Museum and Mountaineering Museum are entered through the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Zoo. The zoo and the two museums are run by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, which trains mountaineers.

The mountaineering museum has a grand collection of historical mountaineering equipment, specimens of Himalayan flora and fauna, and a relief model of the Himalayas.

The Bengal Natural History Museum is near Chowrashtra, the heart of Darjeeling. The museum contains a representative and comprehensive, but dusty, collection of Himalayan and Bengali fauna. The museum houses more than 4300 specimens. Bird species, reptiles, and other animals of the Eastern Himalayas are displayed at true to life altitudes.

The butterfly and beetle section merits special mention. Specimens of estuarine crocodile, which is responsible for the greatest loss of human life in Asia, are also seen here. Mineral forms of various stones are attractively displayed.

This was the house of the French Administrator J.F. Dupleix. He was the chief administrator of Pondicherry and Chandannagore. Now the government of India has converted into a beautiful museum. Inside this displayed documents of various trade, their literature, their News Paper, Historical Important Agreements, weapons and so on. Open on all days and one can spend at least two hours. But photography is not allowed inside the museum, just like Victoria Memorial Hall.

One of the oldest and finest museums of the entire region. It boasts a beautiful collection of French items (e.g cannons used in Anglo - French war, wooden furniture of the 18th century, etc.) which are difficult to find anywhere else in the world. The institute still teaches French through regular classes.

Chandannagar Museum and Indo-French Institute is an Indo-French cultural centre and museum. It was established in the 19th century by the then French Prime Minister Pompidre and Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The centre features various galleries, dedicated to the French East India Company, French furniture, French periodic administration as well as Indian art and crafts.

21 kms. Famous for the terracota Bankura Horse, a folk artifact and now the national symbol for Indian handicrafts.

It houses artifacts of the Malla kings. Items collected through periodic excavations are kept here. The temples of Vishnupur are an architectural treasure trove.