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Crafts Museum in Delhi

craft museum

The National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum, abbreviated as NHHM or popularly known as Crafts Museum, Delhi is located at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The National Crafts Museum Delhi is often referred as Delhi Crafts Museum by the tourists and local population. The Delhi Crafts Museum is widely reckoned as one of the largest museums in the country, and it comes under the administration of Ministry of Textiles (India).

History of Crafts Museum Delhi

The establishment phase of National Crafts Museum Delhi can be calculated to almost 30 long years, which started during 1950s. As a matter of fact, the Crafts Museum Delhi is an outcome of attempts of the notable social reformer and Indian independence activist late Shrimati Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay.

The museum featured huge collection way back during 1980s itself, and it clearly didn't stop there. The museum proceeded to evolve and continued to live up to the prospects and reputations which ultimately make it as one of the finest museums in the country today.

Highlights of Crafts Museum Delhi

The NHHM, Delhi is simply a storehouse and a jubilation of hand-crafted objects. As it is widely believed, India is a land which motivated and values hand-crafted products, and the tradition has extended to a point where the handcrafted products reflect prodigious talent and beauty. The distinctiveness of the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum is that it breaks the usual character of a typical museum of exhibiting old or rare objects as this museum has an ability to present hand-crafted objects, which are being used even today.

At present, the Delhi Crafts Museum possesses almost 33,000 peculiar and classifiable art objects of Delhi Crafts Musuemwhich more than 3,000 are exhibited to the visitors. Furthermore, it is an irrefutable fact that the total collections of the Delhi Crafts Museum reflect the upholding custom of country's artisans through embellishment, fabrics, painting, assorted craftsmanship of mud, rock and woods and various other art objects.

The art objects that are not kept in the presentation usually rest in the stockpile collection. Many special expositions that are arranged for various purposes display several art objects from the stockpile collection. It is important to note that the art objects, which are kept in the stockpile collection, are shelved in a see-able storage which is oftentimes used for reference by artisans, art lovers and research workers.    

With the exceptional and large set of art objects, the Crafts Museum Delhi is even more special for its marvelously designed buildings by the far-famed Indian architect and urban planner Charles Correa (recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan, and Royal Gold Medal by Royal Institute of British Architects). 

The building which was designed by the noted architect cites rural architecture of India with interior courts, open air passageways, roofs furnished with tiles, archways, carven doorways, perforated metal screens and many more brilliant architectural elements.

Galleries of Crafts Museum Delhi

Bhuta Sculpture

A singular appeal of sculpts of the bhuta religious cult of coastal Karnataka (bhuta cult is ascertained primarily in the coastal Dakshina Kannada zone which is populated by the Tulu speaking people).

Craft Museum in DelhiFolk and Tribal Crafts

Art objects from various folk and tribal customs from across the nation.

Cultie Craft

A wide variety of Cultie art objects from dissimilar customs.

Court Crafts

An unparalleled assemblage of art objects that are made for the grandeur.

Textile Galleries

A large collection of Traditional Indian textiles with a wide range of hand-loomed and handmade collections.

Some of the finest collections of the Crafts Museum Delhi include carven wooden builds of the bhutas, ethnic divinities of coastal Karnataka, Chhattisgarh's tribal bronzes, Gujarat's carven wooden architecture, jharokha (balcony), embellished, bejewelled hangings and many other art objects.

Other Interests in Crafts Museum Delhi

Village Complex

The Crafts Museum Delhi also features a village complex which covers 5-acres of land, with 15 structures exemplifying small town abodes, courts and enshrines from Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Orissa, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and many other Indian states.

Library

The Crafts Museum Delhi also houses a library with a stack of over 12,000 books, diaries, unpublished monographs, Museum's catalogue and many other important books.

Crafts Demonstration

The Crafts Museum Delhi invites a certain number of craftsmen from all over the country on a monthly basis to be in the complex. The invited craftsmen are encouraged to demonstrate their talent and to explore new conceptions.

Quick Facts

Museum Timings

Galleries - 10am to 5pm except Mondays and National Holidays
Library - 10am to 5pm except Sundays
Crafts Demonstration - 10am to 6pm throughout the year

Entry Fee (Galleries)

Home Visitors - Rs 10
Foreign Visitors - Rs 150
Free entry for school groups and differently-abled people

Location and Contact Details

National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum
Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Tel: 011 2337 1887
E-mail: craftsmuseumindia@gmail.com
Website: https://nationalcraftsmuseum.nic.in/

craft museumHow to Reach

The Crafts Museum Delhi can be easily reached from ISBT (Inter state Bus Terminal), New Delhi by hiring an auto rickshaw or a local bus. Additionally, the museum can easily be reached through Pragati Maidan Delhi Metro Station (Blue Line).

Landmark - Purana Quila (Old Fort) is located just opposite to the museum

Distance Chart from Important Points to Crafts Museum
  • Crafts Museum to ISBT - 6.3 km
  • Crafts Museum to Railway Station - 5 km
  • Crafts Museum to Indira Gandhi International Airport - 16.7 km
  • Crafts Museum to Supreme Court of India - 1.7 km
  • Crafts Museum to India Gate - 2.6 km
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