Government Museum Bengaluru
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons,
Website: Not Available

Government Museum Bengaluru

Archaeological / Heritage Museum Government
Place Bengaluru
State Karnataka
Virtual Museum No
Year of Establishment 1865
Museum Type Archaeological / Heritage Museum
National Importance Museum Yes
Address Venkatappa Art Gallery Building, Kasturba Rd, Ambedkar Veedhi, Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560001
Visiting Time 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM (Tuesday–Sunday)
Closed on Mondays and second Saturdays.
Entry Fee ₹20 (Adults)
₹10 (Children/Students).

Museum Introduction

Established in 1865 and opened in its current building in 1877, the Government Museum is one of the oldest museums in India. Located on Kasturba Road, it is housed in a distinct neoclassical red building designed by Colonel Richard Hieram Sankey. It serves as the primary state repository for the archaeological and cultural history of the Deccan plateau.

General Collections

The museum houses a vast collection divided into 18 galleries, featuring Neolithic tools, Gandhara art, Hoysala sculptures, and inscriptions. It also includes sections for numismatics, geology, ethnology, and traditional paintings, including the Tanjore and Mysore schools.

Unique Historical Collections

Halmidi Inscription: The earliest known Kannada inscription, dating back to 450 CE, discovered in the Hassan district. Begur Hero Stone: A 9th-century CE stone monument depicting a battlefield scene, which contains the earliest known epigraphical reference to the name "Bengaluru." Atakur Inscription: A 10th-century memorial stone describing a fight between a hound and a wild boar.

Additional Information

Archaeological Survey of India No
Notes The museum is located within the same complex as the Venkatappa Art Gallery, which is dedicated to the works of the famous court painter K. Venkatappa. It is situated adjacent to Cubbon Park and the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum.
Artifacts Halmidi Inscription (450 CE); Begur Hero Stone (890 CE); Atakur Inscription (949 CE); Hoysala sculptures from Halebidu and Belur; Chandravalli Roman coins; Terracotta figures from the Nilgiris; Ancient weapons and musical instruments.
Highly Descriptive Yes
Contact Details +91 80 2286 4483
Email ID damh-bengaluru@karnataka.gov.in

Artifact Gallery