Bharat Kala Bhavan is a university museum located in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. It has been instrumental in the dissemination of knowledge on Indian art and culture. It is one of the important touristic attractions in the Banaras Hindu University and in the city of Varanasi.

History

The concept for Bharat Kala Bhavan came to fruition with establishment of ''Bharatiya Lalit Kala Parishad'' on 1 January 1920 in a wing in Godowlia, Varanasi. Between 1920 and 1962, the museum's collection was shifted to several locations within Varanasi before Jawaharlal Nehru laid foundation of the existing museum building in 1950 and the museum was, then shifted to its existing location in the Banaras Hindu University in 1962. Mahatma Gandhi visited Bharat Kala Bhavan thrice and in his final trip he inscribed "संग्रह बहुत अच्छा है" ("the collection is very good").

Milestones

*1920: Bharatiya Lalit Kala Parishad established. *1926: ''Bharatiya Lalit Kala Parishad'' shifted from Godowlia to Central Hindu Boys School at Kamachha. *1929:

Rabindra Nath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resha ...

(first chairman) decided to focus on art and crafts. *1929: Transfer of ''Bharatiya Lalit Kala Parishad'' to ''Kashi Nagari Pracharini Sabha'' under nomenclature of Bharat Kala Bhavan (Indian Art Museum). *1930: Formal opening of Bharat Kala Bhavan in ''Kashi Nagari Pracharini Sabha'' by Prof. Ordhendra Coomar Gangoly *1945: Silver Jubilee. *1947: Lending of exhibits in the exhibitions in London. *1950: Transfer of collection from ''Nagari Prachrini Sabha'' to Malaviya Bhavan in Banaras Hindu University. *1950: Foundation of present building laid by Jawaharlal Nehru. *1962: Inauguration of new building by Jawaharlal Nehru. *1970: Golden Jubilee. *1977: Foundation of Western Wing of building laid by

Pratap Chandra Chunder Pratap Chandra Chunder (1 September 1919 – 1 January 2008) was a union minister of India, educationist and author. He served in the Morarji Desai Ministry from 1977 to 1980 as a cabinet minister with education and social welfare portfolio ...

. *1980: Passing away of Padma Vibhushan

Rai Krishnadasa Rai Krishnadasa was an Indian author and scholar who got Padma Vibhushan in 1980 and was the founder and director of Bharat Kala Bhavan Bharat Kala Bhavan is a university museum located in Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. It has been ...

*1990: Inauguration of

Alice Boner Alice Boner (22 July 1889 – 13 April 1981) was a Swiss painter and sculptor, art historian, and an Indologist. In her drawings she used pencil, charcoal, sepia, red chalk, ink, and sometimes pastel. Her early works focused on drawings, sculp ...

gallery. *1995: Platinum Jubilee. *2011: On 150th birth anniversary of Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, museum produced a documentary film & published a book on him.

Collection

Bharat Kala Bhavan has a collection of artefacts, Buddhist and

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

sculptures, pictures, manuscripts,

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

miniatures, paintings, brocade textiles, contemporary art form and bronze statues from 1st–15th century. Pottery, metal craft, ivory goods, jewellery, terracotta beads & rare collection of Gujarati, Rajasthani & Pahari miniature paintings are also on display in the museum. Total holdings of Bharat Kala Bhawan are . Yakshi on elephant

Items on display

*Archival materials * Archaeological materials *Decorative art *Indian

philately Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is poss ...

Literary Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

*Paintings *Personalia collections *Textiles & costumes

Holdings

References