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The Raja
Dinkar Kelkar Museum is in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It contains the
collection of Dr Dinkar G. Kelkar (1896 - 1990), dedicated to the memory
of his only son, Raja, who died an untimely tragic death. The
three-storey building houses various sculptures dating back to the 14th
century. There are also ornaments made of ivory, silver and gold,
musical instruments (a particularly fine collection), war weapons and
vessels, etc.
The collection was started around 1920 and by 1960 it contained around
15,000 objects. In 1962, Dr Kelkar handed his collection to the
Department of Archaeology within the Government of Maharashtra. The
museum now holds over 20,000 objects of which 2,500 are on display. |
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These
consist of mainly Indian decorative items from everyday life and other
art objects. The
collection in this museum are mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries
and depicts the skills of the Indian artists of the
time. The door frames, vessels, ornaments, musical instruments,
paintings and carvings represent outstanding examples of their art.
This
priceless treasure donated by Kakasaheb Kelkar, since 1975, is aided by
the Government of Maharashtra, and is managed by the Board of Management
who are deeply committed to not only preserving Kaka’s collection but
also to the growth and development of the Collection.
A collection as varied as life itself. As awesome as man’s genius. A
collection where each artifact reveals the powerful creative craft of
its unknown creator, and where each object testifies to the passion and
perseverance of Kaka Kelkar. A man who single - minded zeal, dedicated
himself to the task of giving the arts and crafts of India the
recognition, the respect and the immortality they deserve.
One part of particular interest is the "Mastani Mahal". Raja Kelkar made
a attempt at depicting the palace of Mastani, (wife of the Peshwa Baji
Rao I) with its remnants. A beautiful piece in the collection is the
carving of lord Ganesha on the seed; the idol of lord Ganesha is shown
with his trunk towards the left, which is quite rare and difficult to
build or draw.
Getting There
By Air: Pune’s nearest airport located at Lohegaon,
Pune Airport, approximately
10 km from the city centre. Daily flights connect it to Mumbai and Delhi
as well as to other major cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad and
Chennai. Private cabs, auto rickshaws or city-airport shuttle buses will
cover the distance from the airport to the city centre.
By Rail: Pune is one of the most important rail junctions in the Central
railways zone of Indian Railways. Plenty of trains connect it to major
destinations in the south, north and west of the country by mail,
express and superfast trains. The Deccan Queen and Shatabdi Express are
fast commuter trains from/to Mumbai, with travelling time of
three-and-a-half hours approximately.
By Bus: Maharashtra state roadways buses and buses operated by private
companies connect the different places in the state to Pune as well as
destinations in the neighbouring states of Karnataka, Goa and Andhra
Pradesh. Most people travelling to Pune from Mumbai, Nasik or Aurangabad
prefer to do so by road as the distance between Mumbai-Pune is 170 km,
Nashik-Pune 209 km and Aurangabad-Pune is 230 km. The roads are well
maintained with conveniently located motels and service stations enroute.
Getting Around Pune
Metered taxis and auto rickshaws ply the city streets; the latter are
the most popular mode of transport in Pune as they are economical and
fast. Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) buses reach every part of the city
and the suburbs from the terminals at Swargate, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune
Station, Shivaji Nagar Station, M G Bus Stand, Pune Corporation and
Saras Baug.
Visitor
Information
Contact
Address :
1377-78,
Natu Baug
Off. Bajirao Road
Shukrawar Peth
Pune - 411 002
Maharashtra
India
Tel : (+ 91 20) 2448 2101 / 2446 1556 / 2447 4466
E-mail address : sudhanva@rajakelkarmuseum.com
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