The National Museum, located in New Delhi’s Janpath was established in 1949. This museum is home to over 2,00,000 historical artefacts, both Indian and foreign, from the pre-historic era till the modern one, from the Indus Valley Civilisation, Mughal India and Colonial India.
It is possible to enjoy the displays as another visitor but the museum also offers a range of programmes that allow for a deeper understanding. It also offers certificate courses and internships for students and art enthusiasts.
The National Museum is divided into a host of departments – Anthropological, Arms and Armour, Archaeology and Curatorial Education Program (CEP) Section, Numismatics and Epigraphy and many more. Its ground floor contains artefacts from the Harappan Civilisation, Buddhist period, Late Mediaeval, Gupta, Maurya, Shunga, Satavahana and Mughal periods; the first floor showcases Central Asian antiquities, maritime heritage, manuscripts, coins, Thanjavur paintings and Ajanta paintings; the second floor displays musical instruments, copper plates, wood carvings, Pre-Columbian and western arts, tribal lifestyle, costumes and textiles and arms and armour.
Visit Programmes
Given below are the many ways you can experience the National Museum.
Volunteer Guide Programme
This free volunteer guide programme, also known as ‘Path Pradarshak’, lasts 90 minutes for each group of 20 visitors and covers the highlights of the museum. The trained volunteers introduce around 30 objects on display and the galleries. Timings:
Tuesday to Friday: 10:30 am, 2:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm
School Visits: Yuva Saathi Programme
This is a free programme of one hour for school students and pre-booking at least three days in advance is mandatory for all schools. Once booked, the visit time slot is provided by the coordinator. The maximum number of students allowed per slot is 120. Teachers and escorts need to pay an entry fee of Rs 20 per person.
Museum in 90 Minutes
This is meant to showcase 25 notable masterpieces from the museum's collection. In this tour, one can explore the museum in great depth and get to see the “must visit” places of the museum.
The National Museum also organises workshops and exhibitions every month that can be booked online via its website.
Certificate Courses, Internships
For a still deeper understanding of the museum’s collection as well as the processes that go into preserving it, the National Museum offers certificate courses and internship opportunities.
Certificate Course
Pawan Jain, an art historian, author, professor, textile designer and entrepreneur offers a certificate course which introduces Jainism, its literary texts and iconography, sculptures, miniature manuscript paintings, vastra patas, tantric patas, architecture and the development of Jain art, says the museum website.
Duration: 5 days
Timings: 4 pm to 5 pm
Eligibility: Minimum 20 years of age
Total number of seats: 35
Certificate: Yes, upon completion of the course
Course Fees
Particulars | Amount (In Rs) |
Students | 1,000 |
National Museum Volunteers | 500 |
NGOs | Free |
Others | 2,000 |
Internship Programmes
As a part of its outreach activities, every year, the National Museum offers summer and winter internships to undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in gaining practical skills in running a museum and preserving its collection. The shortlisted applicants are placed in one of the 10 departments of the museum and work in research, gallery development, digitisation, catalogue preparation, coordination, re-organisation of collection, display techniques, label writing, documentation and more. During the course of the internships, interns get the opportunity to interact with experts and eminent people from the art and culture background who share their knowledge and expertise. Details of the internships are given below.
Summer Internship
Offered in the months: May, June and July
Duration: 6 weeks, 9 weeks or 12 weeks
Stipend: None
Eligibility: Students enrolled in any institution at the undergraduate or postgraduate level
Last date to apply: March 10 every year
Winter Internship
Offered in the months: December, January and February
Duration: 6 weeks, 9 weeks or 12 weeks
Stipend: None
Eligibility: Students enrolled in any institution at the undergraduate or postgraduate level
Last date to apply: November 30 every year
