Pune360 | Kelkar Museum | Museum, Also, Used, Objects, Floor

Poona, India

Temp:	27°C
Wind Chill:	28°C
Humidity:	65%

Speed:	5 km/h
Direct.:	270°
High:	27 ° C
Low:	22 ° C

Weather details

Pune

City Landmarks

Kelkar Museum

The Kelkar Museum is the fruit of the untiring efforts of the late Padmashree Dr. Dinkar Gangadhar Kelkar, also known as Kakasaheb Kelkar, over a period of 70 years. He collected rare exhibits and artifacts that were used during the Mughal and Maratha periods. He started his collection from the year 1920 and managed to bring together thousands of objects relating of historic significance.

What began as a one man show turned into a Museum when the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Y.B. Chavan and Shri P.J. Chinmulgund, the then Education Secretary of the State Govt. took interest in giving the collection a more formal shape that would benefit and educate a lot more people. This individual collection by Dr. Kelkar was taken over by the Education Department of the State Government in the year 1975 for development and expansion.

The Museum is housed in a three storeyed building located at 1377 and 1378 Shukrawar Peth, Natu Bag, Raja Kelkar Museum Street in Pune. The Museum is located in the heart of the city on Bajirao Road and is easily approachable from Deccan area. The Museum remains open from 10 am to 5 pm and is closed only on government holidays. The entry fee is a nominal Rs.15 for adults and Rs.5 for children. Visitors from other countries, however, are required to pay Rs.200. One may contact the museum on 91-020-24474466 or 24482101 or look up their website www.rajakelkarmuseum.com for more details.

The three storeyed building has various galleries each displaying prominent artifacts.
A library that comprises of books on Art, History and Conservation and Architecture is also present here.

There are also various articles of daily use that belong to the traditional era. One can take a look at things like nutcrackers, lamps, pen and inkstands, and even objects and utensils that were used for cooking.

The ground floor has ivory objects on display. Various objects made of ivory sourced from the different parts of the country and also from Nepal are displayed here.

The first floor has a gallery full of musical instruments. Drums, blowing instruments, string instruments like tanpura and mini tanpura and the taar Shehnai are major attractions. A smaller section has tribal art, pipes and things used by people in tribal areas long ago. There is also a gallery of kitchen utensils on this floor, which exhibits the big vessels, used for cooking in the 17th and 18th centuries, the big containers used for storing liquids and grains and the day-to-day objects used in the kitchen belonging to the 16th Century. These objects add to the tourists’ interests.

The second floor has a gallery of textiles. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kathiawad and Paithan from Maharashtra are place that are proudly represented here. Bronze lamps, plates, writing materials dating back to the 17th and 18th century are displayed in another gallery on this floor.

The third floor has a gallery on toys and masks. Armory is also exhibited here.

The exit of the Museum has aesthetically decorative doors and windows got from temples and houses from various parts of India and gives a glimpse into the lifestyles of the people, several centuries ago.

Besides the various galleries there is a collection of paintings on women, which depict their important role in Indian society amongst other paintings that are prominently displayed.

The Museum also boasts of Mastani Mahal, which has been reconstructed using materials from the original settings and depicts the immortal love story of Bajirao Peshwa and Mastani. This is a prime exhibit attracting many visitors.