So I am on a spree visiting art galleries and museums it seems! Day two of my tour and I am about to visit the Mahant Ghasiadas Memorial Museum…Located near the D K Hospital in Raipur, this Museum was established by Raja Mahant Ghasiadas of Rajnandgaon in 1875.
What began as an exhibition of the private collections of Queen Jyoti Devi of the Rajnandgaon Empire showcases the tribal culture with their weapons, attires, musical instruments, household items and many more. These have been curated to a very intmahant ghasidas memorial museum chhattisgarhricate and praiseworthy level of detail. The entire museum comprises of two floors, sprawling across five galleries dedicated to archaeology, anthropology, natural history and more. Besides these sections, the museum also has displays of jewelries, paintings, terracotta articles that belonged to the tribes back then.
Mahant Ghasiadas Memorial Museum | Image Resource : anushankarn.blogspot.com
You will also be very much taken aback to find that there are sculptures dating over five thousand years back. There are guns, swords and cooking utensils displayed in the gallery, which are the oldest amongst its collections. The entire gallery is a gold mine’s worth in terms of history. Tracing Raipur’s evolution of indigenous communities over hundreds of years, your visit to the museum has ethnographic, historical as well as cultural importance and sets a base to understanding the history of the state.
The Mahant Ghasiadas Memorial Museum charges an entry fee of one rupee per person till date. Usage of cameras and video cameras is prohibited within premises as the flash and the radiation from the devices could affect the paint pigments on the paintings and portraits. You will be charged a fine of five rupees in the event you are caught violating this regulation and your possession will be seized until you exit the gallery. You will be handed out a guide that gives you detailed instruction of the gallery with images as well as brochures for your benefit.
As you exit the gallery you will come across a garden with wonderfully designed ironwork grills and canopies that were inspired by the rich culture and history of the tribal art. The gallery itself is over brimming with its sculptures and art displays that they also have many displays lined up along the driveway.
Two hours of your time at the gallery will be well spent with the amount of history and facts of the city you will learn. Trust me, I did and it was an absolutely fun-filled day.
Afreen Travel Bug 