13. Crafts Museum, Delhi Overview
Popularly known as the Crafts Museum, the National Handicrafts Museum is a centre to exhibits varied specimens of handicrafts, textiles and local decor and to preserve, protect and revive the tradition of local handicrafts. Located in the far corner of Pragati Maidan in Delhi, the museum is designed by the prominent architect Charles Correa. It is currently under the management of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. People often go here for the famous Lota Cafe serving the best of regional Indian cuisine. In addition, the Crafts Museum Shop is a souvenir shop for you to take back little knick-knack home.
The museum houses over thirty-three thousand assorted collections of various crafts collected over the last 60 years from different states of India. The diverse collection inside the museum includes exhaustive textiles and fabrics, bronze and metal lamps, sculptures, wood carvings, bamboo crafts, terracotta figurines, tribal paintings etc. Among the multiple galleries housed in the complex, the popular ones include Tribal and Rural Craft Gallery, Gallery of Courtly Crafts, Textile Gallery, Gallery of Popular Culture etc. In addition, a mini model of a village spread over 5 acres of land is located in the premise. The village complex displays actual generic exhibits depicting the life of rural India. Besides, the museum also has a library, an auditorium, a research centre, and a laboratory.
Galleries at Crafts Museum
1. Bhuta Sculpture Gallery
Bhuta Cult refers to the worship of spirits synonymous with Karnataka's coastal region. This gallery is a visual representation of the Bhuta Cult with the help of sculptures.
2. Folk and Tribal Crafts Gift Gallery
Showcasing the folk and tribal traditions of India, this gallery has a collection of folk paintings and frescos and different daily objects from across the nation.
3. Cultic Crafts Gallery
This gallery displays sculptures, accessories, products and objects of rituals from different religious practices of India.
4. Court Craft Gallery
Court Craft Gallery has a collection of home decor and valuable products made to adorn the ancient palaces and royal homes.
5. Textile Gallery
This gallery has many textile and handloom products, hand- woven or machine made from different states across India.