Museums of East India are considered to be an integral part of a nation`s history and culture and India has a rich tradition of ancient and historical museums. Indian museums of the eastern circle comprises of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand. The museums of east India provide the visitors and seekers, a chance to know about the rich cultural and historical heritage of India.
Museums of Tripura
One of the major attractions of Tripura is the Tripura Government Museum. It is a storehouse of manuscripts and artifacts which are a characteristic of the north eastern historical glories. The museum was opened in the year, 1970, on the 22nd of June. It is a vital part of the cultural variety of Tripura. It has also been accorded the renowned status as a State Level Museum. Located in Agartala, this museum is close to the Chowmohani post office.
The Tripura Government Museum is gifted with four beautiful galleries including the Archaeological Gallery, Painting gallery, Tribal Culture gallery and Indian Sculpture through the ages gallery. These galleries put in display a brilliant collection of more than 1645 historical memorabilia. A large number of silver, gold and copper coins are possessed by this museum. These coins have been received from the archaeological excavations which are some of the major attractions for the historians and scholars. Several sculptures, pottery pieces and primordial copper inscriptions and terracotta, bronze figurines are on display. Outstanding oil paintings on canvas, illustrations and sketches, textiles, ornaments and jewellery add to the beauty of the museum`s galleries. The museum`s musty archive possesses some of the precious manuscripts that contain the history of Sanskrit and Bengali epics. There is also a library containing a huge collection of rare and out print publication on the archaeology, history, architecture and anthropology of Tripura. Tripura Government Museum is thus the preserver of the instances of the rich culture and tradition of the hilly state. It is also one of the major attractions for general tourists as well as the scholars and historians. A visit to this museum in Tripura gives an experience which can be nourished in the mind for long.
Museums in West Bengal
West Bengal is one of the states that pioneered modern museum development in India with prestigious institutions like the Indian Botanical Garden (1787), the Asiatic Society (1784), the Indian Museum (1814) and many others. Indian Museum was built in 1875 and it is an extraordinary building in the Italian style of architecture. This happens to be the largest Museum in the country and features six sections, namely Art, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology, Zoology and Industry (Economic Botany). The museum is closed on Mondays. Some of the other Museums of West Bengal are Indian Museum
Victoria Memorial, Birla Academy of Art and Culture Museum, Asiatic Society, Vangiya Sahitya Parishad, Asutosh Museum of Indian Art, Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, Bengal Natural History Museum, Science City, State Archaeological Museum, State Archives of West Bengal, Nehru Children`s Museum, Royal Gallery, Calcutta Gallery, Thangjing Museum at Bishnupur.
Museums of Orissa
Museums of Orissa are the storehouses of its great tradition and culture. Large number of tourists from all parts of India and various other parts of the world visit this Indian state to have a look into its ancient architectural designs of the stupas, temples and various other artefacts which are reminiscent of the bygone ages. While on a tour of Orissa, one can pay a visit to some of the Orissa museums in order to catch a glimpse of the rich historical past of the state. Among some of the museums in Orissa, the Orissa State Museum is the most prominent. This museum came into being as a result of the initiatives taken by Professor Ghanshyam Dash and Professor N.C Banerjee of Ravenshaw College in the year 1932. They started to gather some of the exclusive and rare items related to the ancient historical past of Orissa. At first, the museum was stationed in the premises of the Ravenshaw College and from 1938 onwards it came to be known as Provincial Museum of Orissa. The exhibits the Orissa State Museum include artifacts relating to armoury, archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy, painting, anthropology, mining and geology. From the date of its establishment and till the present time, the Orissa State Museum is working for the proper preservation and display of the source and development of the glorious sculptures and art in Orissa. Some of the other museums of Orissa are Orissa State Museum, Dhenkanal Science Centre, Berhampur Branch Museum, Museums of Berhampur, District Museum, Branch Museum.
Ranchi Science Centre
Ranchi Science Centre is the first science centre in the state of Jharkhand. Ranchi Science Centre comprises two storied building that houses three permanent thematic galleries of covered area 42,000 square meters on an area of 13 acre land, provided by Government of Jharkhand, at Chiraundi village, Morhabadi near the Tagore Hill, which is located adjacent to Ranchi town. The science centre has been developed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), a wing of Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.
Museums of Bihar
The museums of Bihar, such as, Patna Museum, Nalanda Museum, BodhGaya Museum, Vaishali Museum, Vikramshila Museum, Archaeological Museum at Bodhgaya , Bharatiya Nritaya Kala Mandir, Chandrashekhar Singh Museum,
Archaeological Museum at Vaishali, Biharsarif Sangrahalaya , Chapra Sangrahalaya, Diwan Bahadur Rakhakrishna Jalan Museum, Sita Ram Upadhyay Museum, Sarnath Museum, Sikh Regimental Centre, Nardah Museum, Channdradhai Museum, Bhagalpur Museum are popular tourists attractions. Apart from these there are a few science museums in Bihar too. Patna Planetarium and Srikrishna Science Centre are some of most visited museums here.
