Ajab Ghar ki Ghazab Kahani: The Nagpur Central Museum

A visit to Nagpur is never complete if you do not visit the Nagpur central Museum, or as it is normally called, the Ajab Bangla. Established in 1863, it is one of the oldest Museums in India. Its unmissable collection include fossils, prehistoric remains of dinosaurs, art, inscriptions, manuscripts, arms and armour and a taxidermy section.

Prehistoric Era

The fee to enter the museum is a meagre ten rupees per person. The tour of the museum starts with the prehistoric section where you can marvel upon the actual remains of Dinosaurs which were excavated in parts of central India such as Jabalpur and Chandrapur. A femur bone of the Jainosaurus (a large Titanosaurian dinosaur of India and wider Asia) and complete skull and tusks of a mammoth which roamed central India approximately 65.7 million years ago are showcased for the delight of the visitors. A look at them will make you wonder of the times and scale of these magnificent beasts. The collection also boasts plant fossils, shells, corals and minerals.

Taxidermy

Following the prehistory section is the taxidermy area. Taxidermy is the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect. In easy words, dead wild animals are preserved for the visitors. A walk across this section will make you appreciate the ability of our Mother Nature to create life in various forms. Tigers, leopards, porcupine, squirrels, birds, marine life and many other animals which you would have just read about can be seen at close proximity in this area.

Arts

The sections that follow next are paintings and tribal art. Old paintings of British Monarchs, men and women of various communities and locations are depicted through these detailed paintings. It's heaven for any art lover. The tribal art showcases chairs, plates, cups, cutting tools, clothes and much more. The detail that went into creating such art is unmatched even in today’s technologically advanced world.

Manuscripts

The next section, besides a garden full of old statues, is of the inscriptions and manuscripts. This section will remind you of the varied history that our country has had, in terms of languages. You will find inscriptions in Rajasthani Sanskrit, Persian, Marathi, Prakrit, Hindi and much more. The artefacts are well preserved and the dexterity with which these were written on stone is masterful.

Weapons and Armours

The last two sections of the museum display the amazing collection of weapons and armors of the Mughals, Marathas, Tribals and British. It also showcases the history of Nagpur as you would have never seen before. The Futala lake in the times of the British, the construction of the Diksha Bhoomi and some hidden marvels that you still are not aware of will make you appreciate the great Green city.

Aptly named Ajab Bangla, meaning strange bungalow, the central museum of Nagpur is a must visit. Mostly deserted with no to few people visiting it, the place deserves much more attention and credit that it is given. It is very well maintained, clean and welcoming. A Nagpuri should be proud of such heritage which lives on. Even in times of everything digital, Ajab Bangla connects you to the real world.