State Archaeological Museum

State Archaeological Museum in Hyderabad has a huge collection of stone and metal sculptures. You can never ignore the beautiful building while going by the Public Gardens.

The Andhra Pradesh State Archaeological Museum houses stone and metal sculptures belonging to the ancient and medieval Andhra – as early as the Satavahana and Ikshvaku periods. These relics are preserved in 5 of its galleries.

Apart from this there is a pavilion meant for the Ajanta and Deccani painting. Whenever you visit the State Archaeological Museum in Hyderabad go to the Modern Art Gallery which has a substantial collection of paintings and sculptures of the contemporary artists of Hyderabad.

The State Archaeological Museum was established during the rule of the VII Nizam in 1920. The museum is regarded as one of the best museums in the country. The things in the State Archaeological Museum of Hyderabad which will fascinate you are :

• An Egyptian mummy
• coins of the Satavahana period
• important Buddhist and Jain relics
• sculptures of different periods
• a Buddhist gallery
• Brahmanical and Jain gallery
• arms and armour gallery
• numismatics gallery
• Ajanta gallery
• Bronze figures from the Vijayanagar and Chola periods
• ninth and tenth century Jain figures (particularly the goddess Ambika)
• Roman coins
• copies of Ajanta Caves' Buddhist murals

In close vicinity of the State Museum lies the Contemporary Art Museum. Here you can find the representatives of the period from the 1st to the 4th century AD. You will also find the 11th century Jain sculptures from Patancheru.

The State Archaeological Museum garden has a hall with columns and ornate ceiling from Ghanapur, and you can find a wooden temple chariot having monsters carved on the beams.

You can go to the State Archaeological Museum at Hyderabad between 10.30 am to 5.00 pm on all days except Monday. You can take photos with prior permission.

Last Updated on 9/28/2011