Birla Museum – A Reflection of Bhopal’s Heritage
Birla Museum, Bhopal is the platform of Madhya Pradesh’s glorious culture and heritage. With the exhibits of the state’s spectacular pre-historic era displayed in the museum, it is a place must visit mainly for the history buffs and archaeology geeks.Birla Museum – A Quick Glance
Famous for: Paleolithic and Neolithic displays, Heritage of Madhya Pradesh
Timing: 9 am-5 pm (Monday and government holidays closed)
Visit duration: 1-2 hours
Best time to visit: March to July
Address: Arera Hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh – 462011
Entry fee: INR 50
Built in: 1971
Birla Museum – An Overview
Birla Museum is an archaeological museum in Bhopal that is nestled at the hillocks of the city. The museum is one of the many museums found in the culturally rich city of Bhopal with “Gallery of Mankind” and “State Archeological Museum” as the more popular ones among tourists.The Birla Museum is a part of the Birla Temple complex that is devoted to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayan as main deities along with a shrine to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.
The Museum beautifully portrays the city’s rich and unparalleled appeal with an immense collection of interesting artefacts and informative exhibits displayed for the eyes of the ones enthusiastic about the pre-historic era of the state. The Birla Museum, Bhopal is one of the major places of interest, mainly for its collected works that include stone sculptures, manuscripts, paintings and others as major attractions.
The Birla Museum, Bhopal is small in size of its construction, but the exhibits are immense that include exclusive sculptures of stones as the major crowd-pullers with explanatory panels displayed beneath them with details mentioned in English. Most of these displays belong to the 7th to 12th centuries.
Birla Museum – Exhibits and Artefacts
The exhibits and artefacts displayed in the Birla Museum, Bhopal date back to centuries between 7th and 12th with exclusive carvings of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shakti. The displays are mainly about different avatars or incarnations of these gods among which the mentionable ones are the Varaha Avatar placed in the Vishnu Gallery. The gallery has some of the most spectacular works displaying Lord Vishnu in different postures and forms.There is the Devi gallery dedicated to the Hindu goddesses, among which Chamunda plays a significant role. The other artefacts and carvings are marvellously carved figurines and statues of apsaras portrayed in erotic postures.
The most visited Shiva Gallery has some of the most spectacular pieces of carved structures including those of Goddess Uma (incarnation of Parvati) and Lord Maheshwar (incarnation of Shiva). The couple is presented with a backdrop of Mount Kailash, all in carvings done by expert hands. You can also find some great excavation materials from the archaeological department.
Birla Museum – Major Attractions
The Birla Museum, Bhopal is mainly about displays used by the Neolithic and Paleolithic men. The exhibits include stone sculptures dating back to 7th-13th century BC, manuscripts, and terracotta made belongings of the inhabitants that go back as old as 2nd century BC.There is a section in the museum that is solely dedicated to exclusive departments and traditions. The main departments are science, games, environment, and amazing facts of nature and others. The museum is a great place to take the kids to, and to let them enhance their knowledge and to quench their curiosity about several facts and random ideas.
Another major attraction of the Birla Museum is the scale model of the Bhimbetka, one of the tourist destinations of Bhopal. It adds to the fascinating beauty and interesting insights of the museum, being a significant masterpiece exhibiting the contribution of the people of then-era.
Among the oldest ones of these displays, the idol of Goddess Durga displayed in trinity form is beautiful and the masterpiece of an engineering marvel. Along with that, there is a spectacular figure of moving Ganesha that dates back to the 11th century. The image of the kings of the Paramara dynasty is also worth mentionable mainly noted for the intricate artwork.
History of Birla Museum
The Birla Museum, Bhopal was constructed in 1971. Certainly one of its kinds in the city, the museum is nestled amidst the peaceful lap of Arera Hills. The galleries of the museum showcase a variety of pre-historic artefacts including old coins, original manuscripts, earthenware, belongings and others that were pre-owned by people between 2nd century BC and 6th century AD.Birla Museum – A Part of Birla Temple
The Birla Museum, Bhopal is a part of the Birla Temple complex located at the top of the Arera Hills. The temple is known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple dedicated to Lord Narayan and his consort Lakshmi as the main deities. The temple is a grand structure mainly noted for its massive scale and excellent design.The Birla Temple, or Birla Mandir, as it is locally known as, offers a mesmerizing panoramic view of the entire city surrounded with lush green with a royal ancient charm to enhance the imperialism. Spread across a huge area of 7.5 acres consisting mainly of gardens, fountains, natural beauty and the Birla Museum exclusively for the history buffs, archaeology geeks, and nature lovers.
The premise includes the museum as well as the temple, and the main entrance is marked with an elegant archway that welcomes the tourists leading to the Birla Mandir and the Birla Museum both. The golden-sandy yellow hues of the temple perfectly match with the vibrant green of the surroundings adding further to the antique appeal of the ambience.
How to Reach Birla Museum
Bhopal is well-connected to the major cities of India by railways as well as with flights. One can avail public transports like bus, auto rickshaws, and taxis, and can also get private cars on hire to take you to Birla Museum.
Nearest airport from Birla Museum: Bhopal Airport (15 km to the north-west from the center of the city)
Airport name: Raja Bhoj Airport
Nearest railway station: Bhopal (5 km)
Railway station name: Bhopal Junction
Roadways: Availability of public buses, taxis and app-based cabs is easy from airport and railway station. You can also hire private cars to take you directly to the spot.
Birla Museum is a must-visit for all the history lovers and the ones interested in archaeology. It is also a great place for the nature devotees to treat their senses with. Do make sure to select the place as a must-visit during your next trip to Bhopal.
See More in Bhopal:
Moti Masjid – The Most Gorgeous Shrine
National Archives – The Custodian of Records