There are many great things about the vast subcontinent of India that give its citizens a lot to be proud of: centuries-old history, rich culture, beautiful architecture, art and science. In a country as dynamic and diverse as ours, we have many sights and sounds to experience, and the greats of our past are documented and recorded for us, preserved in museums for us to see. Still, while our history is truly fascinating, we’ve all experienced our eyes glazing over at display after display of history lessons at some point or another. But when you stumble upon something surprisingly, astonishingly unique, it will keep you wide awake and alert with its wild absurdity.
Let it be said, Indians are very enterprising people. We try to shake things up, get creative and even a bit weird at times, because our long history is so brilliantly diverse, that there are umpteen things to celebrate and be proud of. Tracing the country’s most unique and unusual museums, we’ve compiled a list of bizarre displays and collections that are so interesting, they’ll make your new travel bucket list. From strange waxworks, to a man who we suspect had a slight doll fetish, and even cars shaped like condoms and lipstick, scroll on for 11 quirky Indian museums that you probably never knew existed.
I. Antarang Museum of Sexual Health, Mumbai
Taking sex education seriously since 2002, with sperm-design floor tiles and Kama Sutra verses.
Sex education has never been this fun. Upon entering the building you’re greeted by a lingam, followed by verses from the Kama Sutra. With plastic nude statues, models of the human anatomy, illustrations, and little sperms painted on the floor tiles, Antarang Sex Health Information Gallery, located in Mumbai’s red light district Kamathipura, has everything you need to know about safe sex.
Antarang, meaning ‘intimate’ in Hindi, was founded in 2002 as the result of joint efforts made by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and the Mumbai District Aids Control Society, with the help of Dr. Prakash Sarang. In 2008, plans to move the museum to Goa were in action, believing that its mission was needed more there, according to Dr. Sarang. Though, as of 2010, it was still located in Kamathipura.
In an age where an estimated two million people in India (as of 2011) are infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, the need for proper sex education is of grave importance—for the youth and adults alike, across the country.
Where: Near Alexandria Cinema, opposite St Anthony’s Home, Nagpada, Mumbai. Entry is free and the museum is open Monday to Saturday, from 9 am till 4 pm.
II. Arna Jharna (Museum of Brooms), Rajasthan
Where a regular Indian household item takes on a historical life of its own.
That’s right, we said ‘Museum of Brooms’, and no, it has nothing to do with witch transport. While an entire museum dedicated to jhadoos may sound a bit absurd, when we see it in the larger context created by its founder, the late Komal Kothari, it makes a lot more sense. He wanted to showcase the importance that such a seemingly inconsequential object of daily use has in our lives, an object that we take for granted despite its historical relevance as a staple in most Indian households.
It’s interesting how a daily-used item like a broom is universal in this country, across religions, communities, states, cultures, and so on. Who thought a jhadoo could be such a uniting factor? The variety it displays along with a chronological historical context makes this museum an extremely interesting and truly one-of-a-kind visit, despite its bizarre-sounding nature.
Where: The museum is in Moklawas village, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. It’s best to contact the museum staff at their website, and plan your visit in advance.
III. Baywatch Wax Museum, Tamil Nadu
A waxy rendezvous with Rajnikanth, Michael Jackson and the likes.
Within the Baywatch Water-theme Park in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is India’s answer to Madame Tussauds. Started in 2005, it’s the first wax museum in India and boasts of an interesting collection of famous personalities, from global characters to local South Indian ones as well.
So, if your dream is to meet superstar Thalaivar Rajnikanth, comb Einstein’s unruly hair or moonwalk alongside a kind of nightmare-inducing wax figure of Michael Jackson, then a trip to this museum is due. Follow it up by taking a ride on the giant wheel, hopping into the bumper cars, or even jumping into the pool at the adjoining amusement park.
Where: The wax museum is situated at Baywatch Amusement Park, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. It’s open through the week, from 9 am to 3 pm, with admission charged at Rs. 200 for adults, per person, and Rs. 150 for children.
IV. Delhi Metro Museum, New Delhi
A New Year’s present appreciating Delhi’s legendary metro system.
The Delhi Metro Museum at the Patel Chowk metro station was presented as a ‘New Year’s gift’ to the capital’s citizens as it opened its gates in 2009. In a congested city overrun with motorcycles and dysfunctional traffic signals, the convenience of the metro system really can’t be denied. This museum celebrates India’s first modern public transportation system that was built using cutting edge global technology connecting the ever-growing metropolis through a wide web of metro trains.
On display is a collection of panels, train models, historical photographs, and exhibits of a project that started almost 30 years prior to the inauguration of the first working Red Line in 2002. From the drawing board and past major milestones, you can actually trace the development and evolution of this impressive, systematic network. So if you’re passing through Patel Chowk metro station, make sure to take a detour and pay this museum a visit.
Where: Located the Patel Chowk Metro Station, Ashoka Road near Dak Bhavan. Entry fee is Rs. 8 per person, with no extra charge for people coming by metro train, from other stations. The museum is open all days of the week, from 10 am to 11 pm.
V. Mayong Central Museum and Emporium of Black Magic and Witchcraft, Guwahati
A time capsule of Mayong’s dark, mysterious history, as believed by locals.
The small hill town of Mayong in Guwahati is said to have derived its name from the Sanskrit word maya, which means ‘illusion’. It’s also known as the land of black magic and witchcraft. With a cloak of mystery enveloping the town, sorcery and magic are said to have been traditionally practiced here and passed down over generations. And what’s the point of having a spooky cultural history if it isn’t documented and recorded in a museum?
It’s probably not as nightmarish as the words ‘black magic’ and ‘witchcraft’ make it sound, but the tiny Mayong Central Museum and Emporium is a time capsule of Mayong’s past, making it perfect for lovers of the macabre. There are ancient local relics and artefacts, manuscripts of black magic and ayurveda, necklaces made of bones and huge swords (apparently used for human sacrifices) all under one roof. If you’re lucky, you may even get to witness a magic show showcasing ancient rituals for casting healing spells.
The existence of magic can neither be fully proved nor denied. Whether you believe in the tantra-mantra myths of levitation and people changing into animals in Mayong or not, a visit to this little museum brings you into an old culture hidden in the hills of North East India, and it’s definitely worth the trip.
Where: Mayong is 40 km from Guwahati and close to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Information about the museum’s exact location and timings can be attained from the locals of the village.
VI. National Rail Museum, New Delhi
Curating India’s rich railway heritage, proudly showcasing historic bygone trains.
India’s first train made its journey on April 16, 1853, from Mumbai’s Bori Bunder to Thane. The Indian Railways has come a long way since, and is now the fourth largest railway system in the world. Due respect needs to be given to those retired relics that created the foundation upon which the Indian rail model stand today, and that’s exactly what this proud Delhi museum does.
Housed at the National Rail Museum, New Delhi, are the veterans of an era long gone—vintage locomotives, the royal trains of the Maharajas, steam engines, and cars, among other locomotive parts. The impressive exhibits include the Prince of Wales’ Saloon (1875) and the Maharaja of Mysore’s Saloon (1899), with its chairs upholstered in brocade glory, and a pure rosewood bed. The star of the show, though, is the Fairy Queen, built in 1855, which is considered to be the best preserved steam locomotive engine of her age. In 1998, it was certified as the world’s oldest train in operation by the Guinness Book of Records, after it was restored and converted into a luxury train in Rajasthan. If you’re not much of a trainspotter and locomotive buff, you can still enjoy a joyride in the toy train, because who doesn’t love a good, nostalgic toy train?
Where: Located in Chanakyapuri, on Shanti Path in New Delhi. It’s open through the week, except on Mondays. Entry tickets cost Rs. 20 each. A ride on the toy train costs an additional Rs. 20.
VII. Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
Salar Jung III’s lifetime’s worth of rare Indian collectibles on display for the world to see. /
A display of rare, historical Indian artifacts, relics, and antiques collected over Salar Jung III’s lifetime.
The Nizams of Hyderabad were famous for their grand and opulent lifestyles. Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III of the Salar Jung family, was passionate about collecting rare artifacts, relics, and antiques, and spent most of his fortune in an effort to build his collection. Founded in 1951, the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad hosts one of the largest antique collections, including a few artifacts rumoured to date back to the first century A.D.
The in-house tour takes you on an ethnographic journey through India’s rich history. Many of India’s greatest treasures are housed here—from jewel encrusted daggers belonging to emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan, to a walk-in closet that stores the wardrobe of Tipu Sultan. There are paintings, sculptures (such as the infamous statue of Veiled Rebecca by Giovanni Benzoni) furniture, rare manuscripts and even Qurans made entirely of pure gold. Salar Jung III built his infamous and beloved collection over a span of 35 years.
Where: Located on Darul Shifa Road, Afzalgunj, Hyderabad. Entry is Rs. 20 for Indians and Rs. 500 for foreigners. College students and children under the age of 18 can enter for free with ID proof. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm on all days, except Fridays.
VIII. Dr. Shankar’s Brain Museum, Bangalore
Every zombie’s dream buffet.
If the zombie apocalypse were to actually happen, this is the last place you’d want to be. In this less-of-a-museum, and more-of-a-collection are brains of all sizes and types: human and animal, untouched and diseased, and even brains that were eaten by amoebae that can enter your body through your nose while swimming (side note: we suggest carrying a nose clip on your next visit to the community pool).
In a very morbid setting, at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, almost 300 brain specimens are stored in formalin—brains of schizophrenics, sufferers of strokes, HIV-infected brains and even brains that have suffered aneurysms. The purpose of these displays, according to its conceptualiser Dr. S. K. Shankar, is to educate visitors, about prevention measures and treatments available for about 70 percent of the showcased diseases.
The best part is the end of the tour, where you get to hold a human brain in your hands. Now that’s what you call a unique selling proposition.
Where: NIHMANS Brain Hospital. Just east of NIHMANS Bus Stop, Hosur Main Road/ Dairy Circle Road. It is free for public viewing on weekdays and Saturdays between 10 am and 3 pm.
IX. Shankar’s International Dolls Museum, New Delhi
They’re all beautiful dolls, so don’t worry, no Chuckie-induced nightmares.
A traditionally dressed Hungarian doll, gifted by a Hungarian diplomat, gave political cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai the idea to start collecting dolls from all over the world.
With a collection of nearly 500 dolls, Shankar travelled and held showcases for poor children in an attempt to teach them about world cultures in a fun way. Jawaharlal Nehru attended one of his shows, accompanied by Indira Gandhi. When Shankar complained about the damage to the dolls through constant packing and travelling, Indira Gandhi suggested setting up a permanent house for them.
Today, in the midst of the hustle-bustle of Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, in New Delhi, with over 6,500 dolls, Shankar’s International Dolls Museum stands adjoining the building of the Children’s Book Trust, which was set up in 1957 by Shankar Pillai. With beautiful Geishas and dramatised scenes from epics such as the Mahabharata, the museum has the largest collection of costumed dolls anywhere in the world. There is much to learn from this multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and religiously diverse utopia that leaves you feeling like Gulliver walking around the island of Lilliput.
Where: Located at Nehru House, on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, adjoining the Children’s Book trust building, in New Delhi. Open on all days, except Mondays, from 10 am to 5 pm. Entry tickets cost Rs. 15 per person for adults and Rs. 5 for children.
X. Sudha Car Museum, Hyderabad
The brainchild of a seriously wacky automobile enthusiast, with ladoo cars, lipstick cars and more.
K. Sudhakar has to be one of the most creative, innovative and wackiest people out there. Sudha Car Museum in Hyderabad is his brainchild, where he has showcased an admirable collection of antique cars and motorcycles. He holds a Guinness World Record, as well as a mention in the Limca Book of Records for making the worlds largest tricycle.
Apart from the brilliant antique collection, there’s an incredible part of the museum that comprises the most amusing handmade cars made out of scrap metal. This section contains cars and motorbikes in perhaps every shape you could think of—ladoo cars, burger cars, cars in the shape of a lipstick, a condom, a cigarette, a handbag, a soccer ball and stilettos, to name a few. Just like Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, this museum is truly magical.
Where: Located new the Zoo Park on Bahadurpura X-Road, in Hyderabad. Entry fee is Rs. 50 per person for adults and Rs. 15 per person for children. Open on all days of the week, from 9 30 am to 6 30 pm.
XI. Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi
A journey through India’s historical timeline in loos, from the Harappan civilisation to Akbar’s fort.
We have a museum of toilets in the capital city of our country. We’ll pause for a moment while that sinks in.
Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, a sociologist, social reformer and founder of the Sulabh Sanitation Movement, felt the need for a museum of toilets to educate children about the history and evolution of this sanitary item. Ranked third among the World’s 10 Weirdest Museums by Time Magazine, this one-of-a-kind capsule of loo-history maps out the history of toilets over the past 4,500 years.
The amount of time and in-depth research it must have taken to accurately compile the exhibits is commendable. Starting from the sanitation arrangements of the Harappan civilisation, down through to the Middle Ages, to a colourfully decorated toilet from the Victorian period, and finally to toilets from Akbar’s Fort in Fatehpur-Sikri, this museum has it all. The exhibits ends with the gallery displaying modern toilets from all over the world, electronic toilets and the toy commode from China.
Where: Located at Palam Dabri Marg, in Mahavir Enclace, New Delhi. The museum is open from 10 30 am to 5 pm in winter (1st November - 30th March) and from 10 am to 5 pm in summer (1st April - 30th October). Entry is free of charge.