- Location: Sayaji Park, Vadodara
- Built by: Sayaji Rao III
- Built in: 1879 A.D – 1894 A.D.
- Timings: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Mondays and government holidays
- Entry fee:
- Rs.10 for Indians
- Rs.200 for Foreigners
- Time required: 1-2 hours
- Best time to visit: October to March
Your Gujrat trip will definitely lade your mind with great memories for years to come when you visit Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery. This museum and picture gallery located in the garden city of Gujrat named Vadodara. The city of Vadodara was once the capital of the Royal family of Gaekwad and received its name from the abundance of banyan trees. The city is filled with different amusement parks, temples and palaces. However, the best place for tourist interest is Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery.
Articles in the museum
Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery exhibits a rich assortment of objects. This collection includes ancient manuscripts, Indian sculptures and Egyptian antiquities. The museum has some of the rare art works and one of its prime attractions consists of the famous Akota bronze figure. This bronze figure is quite old and dates back to the 5th century. Tourists folk at this museum daily, to see the most notable article, which is an Egyptian mummy. This museum also preserves a complete skeleton of a blue whale.
The art gallery of this museum is fascinating as it displays a collection of Mogul miniature models. The gallery also includes a huge gallery filled with Tibetan art and other artworks from European masterpieces. The original paintings of European masterpieces are remarkable. The most notable of these paintings is the collection of paintings by the celebrated British painters Turner and Constable.
Architecture
If the collection of objects inside the museum amazes you then exterior of the museum will fill your heart with wonder with its architecture. The museum was built in the Indo-Saracenic fashion of construction. In fact the structural pattern of this museum follows the architectural pattern of Victoria & Albert and Science Museums of London.
History
This museum was originally established by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1887. The construction of the museum took few years more and was completed in 1894. The chief designer of this museum was Major Mant who worked with collaboration with R.F. Chisholm. It is said that Chisholm refined some of the Mant’s construction to make this museum look exactly like Victoria & Albert and Science Museums of London.
The art gallery was added to this museum subsequently and its construction started in 1908. It took 6 more years to finish the art gallery. Although the gallery’s construction completed in 1914 it was not open to public until 1921.
- Must Read: Historical Places to Visit in Gujarat
