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The proposal for a Museum in Egmore, Madras was mooted by the Madras Literary Society in 1846 AD and Sir Henry Pottinger, the then Governor, obtained the sanction of the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London.

In January 1851 AD, Dr. Edward Balfour, Medical Officer of the Governor's Body guard was appointed as the First Officer in charge of the Government Museum. The notification in the Fort St. George Gazetteer dated 29th April 1851 AD contained the first announcement regarding the opening of the Madras Government Museum...

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Bronze Gallery

NATARAJA - Tiruvalangadu

Acc. No. 236 Ht.115 & Br. 90 cm

Tiruvalangadu, Tiruttani Taluk, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu 11 th Century A.D.

The Nataraja dances on the apasmara on an oval shaped Lotus pedestal. Nataraja has a head-dress made of feathers. A Skull appears in the middle of the lower part of the headdress. A snake on the right side of the head-dress among the feathers and a crescent moon on the left side are seen. A Datura flower is seen on the right side of the head-dress and another flower near the crescent. The upper right hand holds the drum, and the left hand holds Agni, the lower right hand is in abhaya while the lower left hand is in Kari hasta mudra. Nataraja is wearing a makara kundala in his left ear and a patra kundala in his right ear. He also wears shoulder tassels Keyuras, kankanas, udharabandha, Bhringipada is not found in this Nataraja...

Museum Theatre

Museum Theatre The 'Museum Theatre' is one of the heritage buildings in the Government Museum campus very much visible from the Pantheon Road, a rare example of the Indo-Saracenic mode of architecture. The theatre was built by the British in the year 1896 in the model of the then Globe Theatre in London.

The unique semicircular shaped Museum Theatre has a high raised plinth which reached through a magnificent flight of a pair of granite stairs ends with a rectangular wing at the rear side.

Tmt Kavitha Ramu, I.A.S

Director of Museums

Notable collections of this museum are the world famous South Indian bronzes, Amaravati sculptures, Tanjore (Thanjavur) armoury, inscriptions on stones and copper plates, the Dowleshwaram hoard of gold coins of Raja Raja I and Kulothunga I, the Chengam hoard of copper coins, artifacts from the Megaliths of Adichanallur, the Bruce Foote Collection of prehistoric stone implements, Roman and other artifacts from the famous site of Arikamedu (near Pondicherry) Roman artifacts.

The exquisite crystal reliquaries from the Bhattiprolu Stupa and the enormous skeleton of the whale obtained on shore near Mangalore.

Hours of Visiting

Working Days

MON - SUN

10.30 AM to 6:30 PM

Holidays : All Fridays, Deepavali, Pongal & National Holidays - (January 26th, August 15th & October 2nd), For District Museum, Second Saturday is Holiday.
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Where You Visit

Egmore, Chennai,

Tamil Nadu 600 008.