The concept of museums in India was first introduced by the British. It was their great love for preserving and displaying things that led to the birth of first Indian Museum in Kolkata. It is one of the earliest museums established in the world. It is also considered the largest in the country. Among many different things it has preserved paintings, precious stones, fossils, botanical specimens and anthropological things. Gradually, the love for preserving old objects spread in other parts of the country as well.

Today, there are more than 500 different kinds of museums in India and all of them have a special charm and a distinctive characteristic of their own. There is, of course, the National Museum in Delhi, whose unique Indus Valley gallery displays many antiquities like terracotta toys, pots, jewelry, bronze and copper implements and sculptures, excavated from the ancient sites of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Museums located in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and other parts of the country are famous for their outstanding and rare objects. These are some of the most prestigious institutions of India with their extraordinary objects and artifacts of historical importance and traditional significance.

To know about museums located in various states, UTs and major cities of India, click on the links given on the map below.