Government Museum, Bangalore

Established

1865

Current building

1877

Location

Kasturba Road, next to Cubbon Park

Ideal time needed

2 to 3 hours with the art gallery

The building

The present building dates from 1877 and follows a neoclassical design, with columns, arched windows and a deep red exterior. Take a few minutes to look at it from the garden before going in; the facade photographs well in the soft light of late afternoon.

What to see inside

The best-known exhibit is the Halmidi inscription, regarded as the oldest surviving Kannada inscription, dated to around 450 AD. Sculpture galleries hold stone figures carved under the Hoysalas, Cholas and Vijayanagara rulers, many still sharp in detail, and it is worth comparing how the styles of the three dynasties differ in posture, ornament and facial expression.

Other rooms display prehistoric finds, old jewellery, coins, musical instruments and weapons. Because the museum rarely feels crowded, you can move through the rooms slowly and read the labels properly.

Venkatappa Art Gallery

Next door is a separate institution named after K. Venkatappa, the Karnataka painter known for his landscapes. The foundation stone was laid on 24 November 1967 by S. Nijalingappa, then Chief Minister. Over two floors it holds more than 600 works, with Venkatappa's own paintings at the centre and pieces by other artists of the state around them.

The gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions and cultural programmes, and art students often gather here. It is easy to mistake the gallery for a wing of the museum, but it runs independently, so allow separate time for it.

Planning your visit

The museum sits on Kasturba Road at the edge of Cubbon Park, close to the Visvesvaraya science and technology museum. Pair the three with a walk in the park for a relaxed half day. Photography rules differ between galleries, so check at the entrance before taking pictures. We can arrange a Bangalore city tour that includes these stops.

Also nearby