Craft Museum Delhi

Adds a unique charm to the tourism of Delhi, Craft Museum, popularly known as the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum, is an interesting sightseeing choice in the capital city if you are an admirer of traditional and ancients arts & handicrafts of India. Located just opposite to the famous Pragati Maidan, Craft Museum was designed by a popular architect - Charles Correa and is presently running under the authority of the Ministry of Textiles. The fact that this museum is one of its kind in Asia makes it one of the not-to-miss tourist attraction in Delhi. Besides, if we talk about the exhibitions, the museum currently holds a massive collection of over 33,000 specimens in different crafts that together pay an accolade Indian craftsman and their skills. Just to let you know, these specimens are more than 60 years old and are raised from Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Assam, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab. For tourists, this popular museum in Delhi houses a rare collection of various traditional artefacts including textiles, metal lamps, tribal/folk paintings, bamboo and cane crafts, wood works, utensils clay and terracotta figures, sculptures, and more such enthralling collection. Amongst its various art galleries, Tribal and Rural Craft Gallery and Gallery of Courtly Crafts are the most significant ones that are admired the most by tourists.

Whereas, Bhoota collection from Karnataka is the star attraction of the museum which is around 300 years old. Followed by this, the other famous collection of Craft Museum include precious metals and Kutch's Baluchari and brocade sarees. Other than the artefacts, the museum also has a laboratory, library, and a documentation centre which are also worth checking out while sightseeing the museum. For tourists, there is also a shop, Lota Shop, which sells a whole finest range of craft products. It is a perfect place to shop for some rare and contemporary handicraft products like lamp-stands, clay and terracotta pots, chandeliers, lamps, tribal and folk paintings, cushion covers, bamboo work, embroidered bed sheets, jewellery, and lot more. Besides, Café Lota - an Indian restaurant, is another pleasing arrangement offered by the museum authorities. The restaurant serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fares and has received good reviews from the customers. So, after done exploring the museum, try some delectable delicacies here at Café Lota.

Major Highlights of the Museum

• Lamps and incense burners
• Utensils
• Papier mache
• Jewellery
• Clay and Terracotta Pots
• Paintings
• Textiles
• Cane and Bamboo Work
• Wood and Stone Carvings
• Bronze Images
• Ritual Accessories
• Puppets, Toys, and Dolls
• Decorative Metal Ware
• Precious Metals
• Mud Huts with thatched roofs and painted walls

Visiting Timings:

Galleries: Tuesday - Sunday (10 AM to 5 PM), Monday is closed
Craft Demonstration Area: 10 AM to 5:30 PM (Daily)
Administration and Library: 10 AM to 5 PM (Second Saturday and Sunday are closed)
Museum Shop: 9:30 AM to 5 PM (Daily)

Entry Fees:

For Indians - 10 INR
For Foreigners - 150 INR
For Student - 1 INR
There are no entry charges for students in a group or a physically challenged person.

Address

Bhairon Road, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

How to Reach

Pragati Maidan Metro station is the nearest metro station from Craft Museum that lies on Blue line. From the station, there is a walking distance to Craft Museum, however, if you want, you can also hire an auto to reach.