From featuring manuscripts on witchcraft to spotlighting an eclectic collection of dolls, several unusual museums in India make for a unique addition to the usual travel itinerary. Here’s a roundup of a few that should be on your radar. By Eshita Srinivas
Museums are often synonymous with scores of historically-significant artefacts, well-preserved works on canvas by renowned painters, or large displays of scientific marvels. Some of the most popular depositories in India include the National Museum Delhi, Indian Museum Kolkata, and the National Gallery of Modern Art Bengaluru. Many travellers from around the globe, particularly those with a cultural bent of mind, add these spots to their bucket lists. That said, if you’d like to go off the beaten path to discover more quirky, unique collections, there are plenty in India that don’t often feature in guidebooks. We round up a few that showcase everything from human brains to kites.
These unusual museums in India are a must-visit
Patang Kite Museum, Ahmedabad
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Uttaran, or The International Kite Festival, is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Gujarat. A nod to this is the museum in the capital city Ahmedabad that’s entirely dedicated to kites. Founded in 1985 by Bhanu Shah, a kite enthusiast, the space hosts a large collection of rare kites and is the first of its kind in the country.
Over a hundred kites call this space in the Sanskar Kendra its home. Many measures a whopping 22 feet by 16 feet. Star attractions here are the collection of hexagonal Japanese kites called Rokuku, block print kites, and a 16-feet large kite featuring traditional Garba dance.
Address: Sankar Kender, Bhagtacharya Rd, Kocharab, Paldi, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Contact: +91 79265 78369
Timings: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
National Rail Museum, Delhi
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This space opened for visitors in 1977 and has over 100 indoor and outdoor exhibits of the Indian Railways. This includes static as well as working models, historical photographs, signalling equipment, old coaches, antique furniture, literature about the railways, and more.
Included in the list of coaches is the Prince of Wales Saloon from 1875 and Maharaja of Mysore’s Saloon from 1899. The latter comes with stunning brocade-covered chairs and an elegant rosewood bed. Popular here is the Fairy Queen, a locomotive engine built in 1855. You could also hop on the joy train or monorail or go boating.
Address: Service Rd, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi
Contact: +91 11268 81826
Timings: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Shankar’s International Dolls Museum, Delhi
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Home to over 6,000 dolls from 85 countries, this museum operates under the Children’s Book Trust, set up by renowned cartoonist K Shankar Pillai. The India exhibit, on its own, consists of about 500 dolls dressed in costumes worn from around the country. The story goes that the artist was once gifted a doll by a Hungarian diplomat, which inspired him to collect dolls from the countries he visited.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the former Prime Minister of India, was said to have visited Pillai’s exhibition of these dolls with his daughter, Indira. Later, Indira would set up the museum with Pillai. Besides his own collection, Pillai’s museum houses that of eminent personalities, including Nehru. Look out for the Japanese geisha miniatures, traditional African figurines, Shakespearean-era toys, and the host of antique puppets on display. If this doesn’t spell unique, we don’t know what does.
Address: Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Nehru House, New Delhi, Delhi
Contact: +91 11233 16970
Timings: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, Delhi
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Dedicated to the history of sanitisation and toilets, this unique museum was founded in 1992 by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak. The exhibits here have been painstakingly organised to be displayed chronologically, spotlighting the development of the toilet system over the last five thousand years, starting from 3000 BC. There are three parts of the museum, ancient, mediaeval, and modern, with exhibits like chamber pots, wet toilets, stone-studded bidets, Victorian toilets, and Roman gold seats made for emperors.
Address: Sulabh Bhawan, RZ-83, Palam – Dabri Marg, Mahavir Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi
Contact: +91 11250 53646
Timings: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
NIMHANS Brain Museum, Bengaluru
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Located in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, this museum has over 300 specimens of the human brain preserved in jars. The museum was established to promote neurobiology research and is in association with the central government’s Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
The collection is courtesy donors and victims of road accidents, with each brain having an engaging backstory. Reportedly, visitors not only get an insight into the anatomy, neurology, physiology and psychology of the human brain but also get to hold a real brain at the end of a tour.
Address: Hosur Main Road, Sattar Layout, Lakkasandra, Wilson Garden, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Contact: +91 80269 95786
Timings: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm (Wednesday and Saturday)
Black Magic and Witchcraft Museum, Mayong
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Mayong in Assam lies adjacent to the Brahmaputra river and is surrounded by hills on most sides. Known as the land of black magic, the village is about 40 kilometres from Guwahati, and the name of the village itself is derived from the word “Maya, which roughly translates to “illusion.”
The history of black magic here isn’t well documented, and several lores state that men have disappeared while untamable beasts have magically become approachable in this region. Hence, Mayong is the perfect place for a unique museum that showcases relics and manuscripts on black magic and books on witchcraft, bizarre local artefacts, handmade dolls, skulls and other tools used in rituals. While here, visitors are said to be given a demonstration of centuries-old rituals that are performed to cast healing spells.
Contact: +91 98544 79746
VMRDA INS Kursura Submarine Museum, Visakhapatnam
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A top attraction for travellers heading to the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, INS Kurusura was a diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy that was decommissioned in 2001 and converted into a museum.
Situated along the Ramakrishna Mission beach, the space offers visitors an insight into how a maritime submarine looks and functions as well as how crew members go about their duties. This museum happens to be the first of its kind in Asia, and fun experiences include visiting the bunker beds, toilets, kitchens, dive charts, and communication equipment.
Address: RK Beach Rd, Kirlampudi Layout, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Contact: +91 89127 54133
Timings: 2:00 pm – 8:30 pm (Tuesday-Sunday)
Sudha Car Museum, Hyderabad
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The first of its kind in India and one of the few of this sort in the world, this is a handmade car museum that showcases vintage cars. The unconventional collection here includes cars made from footballs, cricket bats, laptops, cameras, and even sharpeners, each with its own story. Plaques offer insight into how far they can go should you be in a high-speed car chase. The founder holds the record for building the world’s largest tricycle, at about 41 feet and seven inches in height. He’s also designed India’s smallest train in 20 days, a 19-feet long structure with a seating capacity of 10 people. This is as eclectic as displays can get!
Address: 19-5-15, 1/D, Bahadurpura X Rd, APHB Colony, Bahadurpura West, Hyderabad
Contact: +91 93919 05413
Timings: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm
RBI Monetary Museum, Mumbai
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Money makes the country go round, and this museum aims to capture its essence while documenting its history. It features permanent and temporary exhibits that represent India’s currency, from paper to gold bars as well as financial instruments of the yesteryear. Look out for cowry shells, beads, and engraved coins from different periods in history. India is known to be one of the earliest issuers of coinage and has experimented with it, all of which can be noted (pun intended) at this well-documented museum.
Address: Amar Building RBI, Sir Phirozshah Mehta Rd, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Contact: +91 22226 14043
Timings: 10:45 am – 5:15 pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
VECHAAR Utensils Museum, Ahmedabad
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Vishalla Environmental Centre for Heritage of Art, Architecture and Research Utensils Museum is located at the Vishalla restaurant, which is known to serve sharing platters of local cuisine. The founder, Mr Surendra Patel, is a collector of traditional utensils made with brass, copper, and bronze and the museum houses over 3,500 types of utensils, including 1000-year-old jugs and modern glass utensils, in a hut made of straw and bamboo. Built in 1981, this unique space aims to preserve the artistic heritage of Indian craftsmen.
Address: Opposite Vasna Tol Naka, Rehnuma Society, Vishala, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Contact: +91 79266 07974
Timings: 3:00 pm – 10:30 pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
Feature and hero image: Vechaar Utensils Museum, Ahmedabad India
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