Goa Museums and Art Galleries | Goa Museum

GOA MUSEUM :

Archaeological Museum & Portrait Gallery
Timings: Open Daily Except Fridays From 10.00 am To 5.00 pm.
Location: Old Goa, Goa.
Origin: 1964.

Goa Museums and Art Galleries - The museum has been functioning since 1964 in the abandoned convent of St. Francis of Assisi and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The collection consists of Brahmanical sculptures hero-stones and sati stones of the early and late medieval periods, portraits, coins and currency, revenue and court fee stamps, wooden and bronze sculptures and armoury of the Portuguese period. Rejuvenating The Look The Museum was rearranged and reorganised completely in connection with the CHOGM Retreat in Goa during 1982.

A long hall lying to the left side of the entrance to the Museum was converted into 2 galleries by laying RCC floor with a newly constructed wide staircase at the extreme west to facilitate access to the first floor.

The new Annexe building thus provided additional area to the existing Museum and finally the entire first floor re-laid with a teakwood floor resembling the original in order to bring uniform look to the whole complex.

The 3-6m high bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque greets the visitors at the entrance. In the visitors lobby sea routes of early explorers, map showing site museums in India, map of Goa and a few photographs of monuments of Goa and Daman, and map showing centrally protected monuments in India are on display.

The Key Gallery
The key gallery in the ground floor serves as an introduction to the nature of exhibits in the museum. As one enters the key gallery the visitor is introduced to the short history of Goa in the form of an open book placed on a pedestal. The plan of the museum is on the left sidewall. Taking right turn one comes across a wall showcase containing middle and upper Paleolithic stone tools, Microliths and a few Neolithic Celts. A short historical background highlighting the prehistory of Goa and the location of prehistoric sites is shown in the map of Goa.

The second showcase deals with the early history of Goa. The excavated materials from Chandor, one of the ancient capital cities of goa are displayed in this showcase along with the ground plan of a Brahmanical temple and available early historical antiquities i.e., cast copper coins of 3rd century BC, copper nails, rings, etc.

The next phases of cultural sequence are shown with the help of available sculptures of the Brahmanical deities and displayed in chronological order with the bust of siva and parvati, followed by the sculptures of the Silaharas and Kadambas of Goa

Exhibits / Collection
Other objects on displays are lintel of a temple depicting various types of Shikharas, architectural pieces, sati-stones, hero-stones, an inscribed slab containing Kannada inscription of 'Devaraya', the Vijayanagar king, recording the grant of a Jaina Basti, Arabic and Portuguese inscriptions, wooden statue of John, the Baptist, paintings on wood / canvas of Portuguese Governors Pedro de Castro, Fernando Martings Mascarenhas, nativity of Jesus, Jesus helping St. Joseph, etc. royal coat of arms, Bishop coat of arms on stone, wooden sculptures of infant Jesus, St. Mary sculptured panels representing floral decorations, Goan type basket - full of fruits and the tombstone of D. Diogo de Noronha, the first captain of Daman, Brahmanical Gods and Goddesses and Christian Saints are also exhibited in a showcase in the centre of the big hall. Gallery 2,3,4 and 5 are located in the quadrangle in the ground floor. In Gallery 2 are displayed models of various types of Shikharas, replica of pillar, architectural pieces, a Shiva-Linga and a 'Nandi'. In Gallery 6, the visitor can have a glance at the short history of the paintings of Governors and Viceroys of Goa, before they proceed to appreciate a large number of portraits on wood and canvas. In the vertical type coin showcase are exhibited the Portuguese currency and silver /copper/lead/brass coins.

The major denominations include the Portuguese Manoel, Leal and the indigenous Pardav, Tanga, Xerafins, Rupia, etc. In this gallery, wooden sculptures of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier, St. Joseph and other Christian Saints are also on display. A model of the fort of Diu is on view in this gallery. In Gallery 7 are displayed the portrait paintings of Governors/Viceroys. In the showcase are exhibited the plaster cast bust of Philippe Bernado Guedes, Governor, on one side and the wooden statue of St. Peter on the other side.

In Gallery 8 are displayed the paintings of Governors/ Viceroys, President of Portugal and Dr. Salazar, the prime minister of Portugal during whose time Goa was liberated by Indian army on 19th December 1961. In a small niche on the northern wall is the bust of Queen Maria da Glorida of Portugal. In front of the Museum building are exhibited six canons of different sizes. A photograph of Vassalo-de-Silva, the last Governor General is on display.

Displaying Some Priceless Possessions
The important exhibits on display in this Gallery are the standing Lord Vishnu accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Garuda on left and right respectively, with exquisite carvings accommodating ten incarnations on the Prabhavali, standing Surya accompanied by Danda and Pingala, Gajalakshmi, Mahishasuramardini and seated Uma-Maheshvara.

Archives Goa Museum Travel
Timings: 9.30 am To 1.00 pm And 2.00 pm To 5.30 pm. Closed On Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays.
Location: Panaji, Goa.

The Museum of Goa is housed at a new Building at the Patto Plaze near the Ourem creek, Panaji. The most noteworthy feature of Panjim's State Archeological Museum is its imposing size, which stands in glaringly inverse proportion to the scale of the collection inside. In their bid to erect a structure befitting a state capital, Goa's status-obsessed bureaucrats ignored the fact that there was precious little to put in it.

Exhibits / Collection
The only rarities to be found amid the lame array of temple sculpture, hero stones and dowdy colonial era artifacts (also spelt as artefacts) are a couple of beautiful Jain bronzes rescued by customs and excise officials from smugglers and, on the ground floor, photos of the prehistoric rock carvings at Usgalimal.

The Big Foot Art Gallery At Loutelim
Timings: Daily 9.00 am To 6.00 pm.
Location: Loutolim, Goa.

The Big Foot Art Gallery & Handicrafts Centre, Loutulim offers local artifacts (also spelt as artefacts) and handicrafts to visitors who come to have a glimpse of Ancestral Goa.

Conceived as a means to promoting amateur artisanship in all its form, the Big Foot Art Gallery is one place that has played host to artists of State and National fame.

Exhibits / Collection -Goa Museum Travel
The gallery organizes shows that last up to three days. It works as a center of exhibition of art produced at the Artist's Camps. The gallery also exhibits work done by school children at the "on the spot" poster and drawing competition, which are an annual feature.

Craftsmanship in artifacts and allied subjects has also been displayed at the gallery. The gallery housed at the exit of Ancestral Goa. Flanked on the side by the handicraft center, the gallery is easily accessible to visitors to the exhibits. Besides the entire project this place is a focal point for the many guests as it is always hosting exhibitions that, free of costs are open to the public.

The Naval Aviation Museum - Goa Museum Travel
Timings: The museum is open on all days from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.
Location: Dabolim, Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa.
Origin: 19th October 1998.

The first naval museum in Asia was inaugurated at Dabolim, Vasco in 1998 and opened for public from the 19th Oct 1998. The museum showcases the history of Indian Naval Aviation, various aircrafts, weapons, sensors, safety equipment, rare photographs depicting Goa's liberation and artifacts (also spelt as artefacts).

A multimedia games section is an added attraction. Situated in the picturesque backdrop of the Bogmalo beach, the museum has become a must-visit place for all tourists.

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