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Karnataka Seemanthi Bai Government Museum
Seemanthi Bai Government Museum at Mangalore is also called Bejai museum as it is located in the Bejai part at the centre of Mangalore City.
Easily reachable by tourists by local transport, this museum preserves large items of antiquity which everyone interested in the notable incidents of the past would enjoy seeing them.
The museum showcases good number of paintings of high order, numbering 100 or more, the work done by highly skilled artists making them masterpieces in respective areas of their representation.
History
Seemanthi Bai Government Museum is situated at the Bejai location in Mangalore City, named after Seemanthi Bai, who was the mother of V R Mirajkar, a Medical officer in British Army during World War II, in who’s Bungalow the museum is established now. He dedicated the museum to his mother Seemanthi Bai after her death in 1944, which he handed over to the department of archaeology in 1955
This museum has such wonderful collections that one can enjoy the history of the country in the 16th century, apart from the cultural heritage of India, through the thoughtfully collected coins that are preserved in the museum.
Most of the collections, which are in the form of coins belonging to the East India Company , also some pertaining to Pakistan, besides which there are many antique items like lamps, inscriptions, statues etc giving opportunity to any researcher working on one’s project on historical facts of the country.
Collections
The museum has good collection of valuable items depicting history, particularly metallic coins used during various times, which include
- The copper inscriptions containing the verses done by Keladi Venkatappa Nayaka in 1624AD.
- Large number of copper coins, particularly of foreign currency, which were belonging to the British East India Company and those used at Pakistan.
- Statues of Deities sculptured beautifully and kept as a testimony of great artists who existed a few centuries before.
- A stone sculpture belonging to 2500 BC, carrying a figure of a beautiful woman
- A number of metallic items, including Icons and ancient lamps
- Paintings of different kinds, done by talented artists like K L Bhat, N Hanumesh.
- Photographs taken in olden times, which are Black and White prints depicting the incidents of those days.
- Several musical instruments of ancient times
- Wooden screens of China with carvings inbuilt in them done by highly skilled artists.
- Weapons of those days, which include cannon, besides axes, swords, pistols, rifles etc used in warfare of those days.
- Trumpet called Khale which is on main display
- Porcelain items from other countries, which include Japan, China, Persia, Denmark, England, Czeckoslovakia etc.
- Good collection of forged metal pots and utensils.
How to Reach
Since the museum is located at Bejai situated in the Centre of the City, the local transport of buses and auto rickshaws will take one to the spot easily.
To reach Mangalore, NH 48 provides scope for good travel, a number of buses connecting various centres of Karnataka and nearby states plying all the time, by road is very easy.
To reach by Rail, Mangalore has two railway stations, with a number of trains towards Kerala and Tamilnadu in one and two other locations Konkan Railway hub in the other.
For an Air traveler, Bajpe International Airport situated around 20 km from Mangalore City is the right place to land.
Timings and Ticket Prices
The museum is open to public everyday from 10 am to 5.30 pm with the exception of Mondays and Second Saturdays in the month.
Photo Gallery