The Indian Museum: Inside the Country's Oldest Museum, Founded in 1814

The Indian Museum on Chowringhee is a fixture of any serious cultural itinerary in Kolkata, and its origins run deep. The institution states that it was founded in 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, at what is now the Asiatic Society building on Park Street, and describes itself as the earliest and largest multipurpose museum in the Indian subcontinent and the Asia-Pacific region.

From Park Street to Chowringhee

For its first decades the collection was housed at the Asiatic Society. The foundation of the present building on Chowringhee was laid in 1867, and the structure, designed by W. L. Granville, was completed in 1875. After construction, the collection was moved from the Asiatic Society to the new building, which was opened to the public with two galleries on 1 April 1878. Among the first sections opened were the archaeology gallery and the bird gallery of the zoological section.

Planning a visit

The museum's own history describes its growth as one of the notable events in the development of India's heritage institutions, and the movement it started spread the museum idea across the country through the nineteenth century.

For visitors, the scale of the building means it rewards a planned approach rather than a rushed one. Before travelling, it is worth checking the museum's official website for current opening days, ticketing and any galleries that may be temporarily closed for conservation. The building sits centrally on Chowringhee Road, within walking distance of several other landmarks, which makes it straightforward to combine with a wider day of sightseeing in the city centre.