Museums of Himachal Pradesh offer us an insight into
the history and the cultural heritage of the state. They take us back to
the royal times and throw light on the lifestyle that was prevalent
then. Some of the best-known museums of Himachal Pradesh are the Bhuri
Singh Museum at Chamba, Roerich Art Gallery and Uruswati Himalayan Folk
Art Museum at Naggar, Kangra Art Museum, Shimla State Museum, etc. In
this article, we have provided information on almost all these museums.
Bhuri Singh Museum
Bhuri Singh Museum was inaugurated on 14th September 1908, during the
reign of Raja Bhuri Singh. Infact, the museum has been named after the
king only. Situated close to Chaugan town of Chamba, it was initially
started with the paintings donated by Raja Bhuri Singh.
Kangra Art Museum
Situated in Kotwali Bazaar of Dharamsala, Kangra Art Gallery was
inaugurated in 1990. It houses an impressive collection of arts, crafts,
artifacts, costumes and other treasures, which can be traced to as far
back as 5th century.
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) is situated at McLeodganj
town of Dharamsala. It was founded by the 14th Dalai Lama and serves as
an institution to preserve and promote Tibetan culture.
Roerich Art Gallery
Nicholas Roerich was a Russian who settled down in the beautiful hills
of the Himalayas after the revolution of 1917. He was a gifted painter,
who dreamt of unifying the world through art. Roerich Art Gallery is set
amidst well-tended gardens and has the perfect setting for the display
of art.
Shimla State Museum
Shimla State Museum is set on top of a hill, above the Chaura Maidan at
Shimla. It is housed in a colonial building, known as Inverarm. One has
to hike about 1500 m to reach the colonial mansion housing the museum,
but the rich collection exhibited here definitely makes it worth the
effort.
Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum
Situated in Naggar, within the premises of the Roerich estate, Uruswati
Himalayan Folk Art Museum is just 100 m uphill from the Nicholas K.
Roerich Art Gallery. Professor and Madame Nicholas Roerich set it up in
1928, as the Research Institute of Naggar.
