Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab and Haryana, is one of the best places to visit in India. It offers myriad tourist attractions to people, who throng the place every year, from across the country and even abroad. The city boasts of being home to a number of temples, which are the real reflections of the rich tradition and cultural heritage of Chandigarh. It is also well known for its museums and art galleries, which both amuse the tourists as well as display the essence of the diversity of Indian culture. If you want to visit the museums of Chandigarh, then read the article. Given below is the list of the main museums of the city, which is a must-see in your travel itinerary.Museums In Chandigarh
Government Museum & Art Gallery
Government Museum & Art Gallery came into existence after the partition of the country, in August 1947. Before the partition, the museum was located in Lahore, as the Central Museum. Planned by the designer of the city, Le Corbusier, it was officially inaugurated on 6th May 1968; under the initiative and active support of Late Dr. M.S. Randhawa, the then Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh. The Museum has four wings - The Art Gallery, The Natural History Museum, Chandigarh Architecture Museum, and National Gallery of Portraits. It contains a rich collection of Gandharan sculptures, Pahari and Rajasthani miniature paintings.
International Dolls Museum
International Dolls Museum is located in Bal Bhawan, in Sector 23 of Chandigarh. It was inaugurated on 24th December 1985. The museum presents a collection of as many as 300 dolls from various countries of the world, apart from India, like Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Russia, Korea and many others. It is one of the favorite destinations of children. The timings for the museum are from 9 am to 5 pm, on all days, except the official holidays.
City Museum
City Museum is another of the popular museums in Chandigarh. It was inaugurated in December 1997 and is run by the department of the Urban Planning. It contains a rich display of the materials related to design and architecture of Chandigarh, the theme of “Chandigarh today and tomorrow” and also a large collection of rare unique pictures of important events associated with the birth and growth of the city. The museum is sited in a three storey building, with each storey dedicated to a different theme.
Museum Of Evolution Of Life
The Museum of Evolution of Life forms an integral part of The Government Museum and Art Gallery. It was inaugurated on August 13, 1973 and is housed on the ground floor of the Natural History Museum, in Sector 10 of Chandigarh. It is the first of its kind museum in Asia. The paintings in the museum illustrate the origin of earth, evolution of life from unicellular organism to multicellular plants and animals through the Archeaozoic, Paleaozoic, Permian, Devonian, Triassic, Jurassic, Oligocene, Miocene and Pleistocene periods. It is open for visitors from 10 am to 4:30 pm on all days, except Monday and official holidays.
Child Art Gallery
Child Art Gallery, as its very name suggests, presents a wide collection of paintings by the young artists of Chandigarh. There are occasional workshops for students and children. It is open for visitors from 10 am to 4:30 pm on all days, except Monday and on the official holidays.
Punjab Kala Kendra
Punjab Kala Kendra is located in the Sector-16 of Chandigarh. The Kendra serves as the office of the Punjab Arts Council (Punjab Lalit Kala Academy). Exhibitions are frequently held in the gallery, which attracts large number of visitors.
