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Maharashtra Mahatma Phule Museum
Mahatma Phule Museum, now called Mahatma Phule Vastu Sangrahalaya, is a museum preserving rare collection of artefacts and a number of items of tourists’ interest. This museum is located at the heart of Pune city in Maharashtra State of India.
When this museum was founded in 1875 it was known as Poona Industrial Museum, later it was named Lord Reay Museum, while it got its name in 1968 as Mahatma Phule Museum, which is again changed to Mahatma Phule Vastu Sangrahalaya.
The museum is named after Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule, contemporary of Karl Marx, who was a revolutionary and reformer in Education, Agriculture, Caste Systems, Economics, Human Rights, Women and widow upliftment, Social Equality, Untouchability and similar social fields.
History
Formation of museums to facilitate education and awareness of Indian Citizens in the areas of history and heritage was given focus in 19th Century, when Maharashtra State established two museums , which were Prince of Wales Museum in Western India and the Lord Ray Industrial Museum in Pune. The museum at Pune was established in the year 1890AD.
B V Gharpure was the curator of Lord Ray Industrial Museum, which was the name of Mahatma Phule Museum to start with, who sternly believed that museums are valuable places to educate the unschooled population of the country in the essential areas of agriculture, science and engineering. He was managing the museum during the period 1930 to 1954 and his contributions were praiseworthy.
Different Sections of the Museum
This museum is particularly important for its collections relating to the objects connected with Industry and engineering, various elements of geology and minerals, besides exhibits covering items relating to agriculture, forestry. The weaponry of Mughal and Maratha period wars exhibited here from another area of importance.
The museum serves as a platform for information and knowledge exchange. It has a well-maintained library with rare collection of books from all walks of life. Occasional film shows and seminars conducted in this museum attract many knowledge enthusiasts.
The museum has a section providing charts that give elaborate details of forts in Pune district. Another section giving information of the natural history aspects which include the taxidermy collection of different species of fauna, such as birds, animals, insects and reptile groups.
The industrial section here has with it models of hydro-electric projects of India, apart from irrigation and oil refining procedures adopted in the country.
There is a library attached to the museum since its inception, which contains books of different areas of technology and science, besides museology.
Exhibitions
The museum exhibits collections and models of variety of items, which include
- Body samples of animals of all levels, elephants through Sea fishes
- arms and armoury, which were in use during Mughal and Maratha period
- Sample items connected with forestry, geology, natural history, textiles, etc.
- Samples of brassware
- Art works of stone carvings and marble statues
- oil paintings by famous artists.
How to Reach
Mahatma Phule Museum, Pune, can be reached by all the three means of transport, viz., rail, road and air, with Pune Railway Station situated in Mumbai Pune Rail route, coming under Central Railways, with major long distance trains passing through this station.
National Highways NH 9 connecting Pune with Machilipatnam and Sholapur, road transport is very busy and active for various other cities including Mumbai, buses operated by Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited plying a number of services.
As for air travel Pune’s upcoming International Airport will be having good air connections, this place is also reachable by air from any part of the Globe, while the Pune airport is well connected too, as at present.
Timings and Ticket Prices
The museum is open for public from 8 am to 5 pm on all week days except Wednesdays and on Sundays. The museum will be closed on Public holidays.
Photo Gallery