The Unlikely Gift of an Army Surgeon

The Government Museum of Bangalore is one of the  oldest in the country and the second oldest in South India . The surprising fact is that it was established not by the King of Princely State of Mysore  or by any of the  European Indologists who were over-busy discovering ancient India at that time .

It was an Army Doctor's baby ! 

Edward Balfour , the Medical Officer if the British Army , stationed in Madras Presidency was , in addition to being a surgeon , an Orientalist , Environmentalist , a chronicler  , a polyglot and keen observer of the native society . He established the State Museum and the Zoological gardens in Madras to much acclaim . 

Transferred to the Bangalore Cantonment , he prevailed upon Chief Commissioner Bowring to open a Museum in Bangalore too . The Museum was opened in 1865 in the cantonment's Jail building ! Balfour augmented his own collection of artefacts with those contributed by citizens upon his  request. 

The Front 

In 1876 a new building was commissioned and next year , there arose a majestic  neoclassical red building with grandiose Corinthian coloumns , sloping eaves and high arches in Sydney Road ( now called  Kasturba Road ) It was designed and executed by Richard Sankey , the Chief Engineer of the State . 

The rear

The garden ornament presented by Sankey to the Museum .

The Stare Museum has archeological , geological and  historical artefacts displayed in two floors . From Neolithic Pottery to the earliest Kannada Inscriptions to medieval weapons to classical sculptures to coins  , paintings and musical instruments , the museum has something to interest all visitors . It is a pity  , though , that the exhibits are poorly curated and often without labels . The available labels too give only rudimentary  - and in a few cases ,  wrong - information . 

Umamaheshwara . Pala 

 Kali . Nolamba 

Limestone slab from Sannati - the largest excavated Buddhist site in Karnataka which yielded three Ashokan edicts .

The most recent renovation work has added a Sculpture Garden at the back of the building with an arrangement of stone sculptures across a lush lawn , affording closer inspection of the carvings for those interested . 

Lakshminarayana .Vijayanagar style . 17 th Cent .

Vaishnavi . 13th Cent Nolamba 

Ancestor Stone , Bangalore region 

Hero stone showing an episode of cattle heist and recovery .

Books and brochures published by The Diectorate of Archeology and Museums are on sale within the premises . 

Tickets cost  a ridiculously low Rs.4 and photography is strictly prohibited except in the sculpture garden .  To click any  exhibit inside , special permission  is needed . 

With  one very enterprising friend on board , it was possible to elicit that all important permission and we  indulged  ourselves , clicking the magnificent Nolamba Kali  from all angles .