 Allahabad Museum | |
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| Established | 1931, 91 years ago |
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| Location | Kamla Nehru Road,Prayagraj, India |
| Type | National Museum |
| Director | Rajesh Prasad |
| Website | theallahabadmuseum |
The Allahabad Museum is anational-level museum inPrayagraj,Uttar Pradesh.[1][2]
Established in 1931,[3] it is known for its rich collection and unique objects of art, and is funded byMinistry of Culture. Moreover, it is a premier research centre for archaeologists, historians and academicians and carries out extensive research activities and publications in archaeology, art and literature. Its rock art gallery has the largest collection of prehistoric paintings displayed in India dating from 14,000 B.C to 2000 B.C.[4] The museum, usingsolar power system, has become the first museum in the country to become self-reliant in power generation.[5] The Allahabad Museum is centrally located in the Civil Lines area of the city in a lush green garden at Chandrashekhar Azad Park, popularly known as Company Bagh. It is about 3 km away from the Allahabad railway junction and almost equidistant from three different Railway Stations such as Prayag, Rambagh and Prayagraj junction and about 12 km away from Prayagraj Airport.[6]
A museum was originally set up in Allahabad in 1863 byNorth-West Province Governor GeneralSir William Muir, before being shut down for unspecified reasons in 1881. After the initiative to reopen the museum was taken byJawaharlal Nehru, the then President of the Allahabad Municipal Board, stalwarts likeMadan Mohan Malviya and the then leading newspaperThe Pioneer, the museum was eventually opened in the Municipal Board building in 1931. Due to space constraint, the museum was shifted to the present building at theAlfred Park. The foundation stone of the present museum building was laid on 14 December 1947 by Jawaharlal Nehru and the museum was opened to the public in 1954. In 1985 it was declared an Institution of National Importance.[7][8]
The museum houses galleries each devoted toMahatma Gandhi andJawaharlal Nehru. The Gandhi Gallery displays rare pictures of Gandhi from his childhood till death, while the Nehru Gallery features Nehru's original manuscripts called 'In and Out of Prison' which were later published as his autobiographyThe Discovery of India. His other collection includes documents, gifts, wedding cards and letters, including some from Gandhi himself. The museum's another valued possession is the Gandhi Smriti Vahan, the 47-Model V-8Ford truck on which Gandhi's ashes were immersed in theTriveni Sangam on 12 February 1948.[4][9]
The pistol ofChandrashekhar Azad, a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless semi-auto .32 bore, is displayed and preserved in the entrance hall of the museum. Azad used it to shoot himself after a long firefight with British policemen at theAlfred Park, the same year the museum was established.[10]
The museum boasts 19 exclusive canvasses painted by the Russian painter,Nicholas Roerich. There are 10 Roerich Halls all over the world, including the one at Allahabad Museum.[11]
The museum's library stores 25,000 books, including rare collections ofLoeb Classical Library — translated works of ancient Roman and Greek scholars.[4]
25°27′18″N81°50′46″E / 25.4551°N 81.8462°E /25.4551; 81.8462
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