Goa State Museum – A Popular Place of Tourists

Initially, the Goa State Museum was located in the rented premises of St. Inez in Panaji but later it was moved to the Patto Plaza, which is on the outskirts of Panaji. It was then inaugurated in 1996 on the 18th of June by the then President of India. The Sculpture Gallery, the Cultural Anthropology, the Religious Expression Gallery, the Christian Art Gallery, the Contemporary Art Gallery, the Banerjee Art Gallery and the Western Bronzes Gallery are the main components of the museum on which the beauty of every exhibit stands. The Stone sculptures, paintings, numismatic collection, clay models, bronzes, etc., are among the 8000 objects that the museum boasts of.

The most significant collection of the Sculpture gallery consists of Hero and Sati stones with some of the inscriptions of the period from 4th century AD. The Fossil bone of early 10000 BC is also displayed as the oldest object among all in the museum. The Christian Art Gallery boasts of the wooden statues and the portraits of diverse Christian saints and past Portuguese Prime Ministers and Governors. A flag is also on display and is known to be the commendable sign of Portuguese victory over the Dutch.

Goa State Museum | Image Resource : en.wikipedia.org

The Banerjee Gallery is named after an Ex-Governor of Goa who donated some of his rich possessions to the museum. The Paintings of Rajasthan and those from its Jaipur School, Mewar School, etc. are some of the exhibits of this gallery. An ancient image of Lord Vishnu from the period of the Guptas is the most valuable possession of the Religious Expression Gallery. The remarkable clay models that boast of different professions are the parts of Cultural Anthropology. Modern Art and contemporary paintings of celebrated artists like M. F. Hussain and others are on display in the Contemporary Art Gallery. The Western Bronzes Gallery consists of different replicas of European Artists’ bronze sculptures, which include sculptures of Claude, Dalon, etc.

Every year in the second week of January a Museum Week is celebrated during which, a new collection is displayed. It depicts a rare combination of the ancient and contemporary India. The Goa State Museum is a must-visit sightseeing place in Goa.

Artifacts on display at Goa State Museum | Image Resource : commons.wikimedia.org