Pune,
Maharashtra
The Mahatma Phule Vastu Sangrahalaya was first established in 1890 as the Poona Industrial Museum. Later, it was renamed to Lord Reay Museum, before being called Mahatma Phule Museum in 1968. Though Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was a great Indian social reformer who worked extensively for the anti-caste movement and women's emancipation, the museum does not have anything to do with him. It displays models, charts, pictures, machines, and taxidermy of various wildlife species. It broadly covers the disciplines of forestry, agriculture, natural history, armoury, handicraft, geology, engineering, industries, and architecture in Indian history.
While the armoury belongs to the Mughal and Maratha periods, the taxidermy section covers a vast expanse of evolution in Indian species of animals, reptiles, and birds. Several hydro-electric and irrigation projects, in addition to models of architectural marvels like the Taj Mahal, have also been displayed.
The museum has a library, though it is not accessible to the public. A lot of the museum’s transformation, historically, has been attributed to Mr B. V. Gharpure, who was its director from 1930 to 1954. The responsibility of the museum’s upkeep has been given to the Pune Municipal Corporation and is funded by the entry fees that visitors pay at the museum.
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The bust is placed at the entrance of the museum in honour of Jyotiba Phule, an important figure in Indian history. Mahatma Phule worked tirelessly on issues of women empowerment, the upliftment of backward classes, and in the emancipation of India from British colonial rule.
Pictured here is the room which houses swords, shields, a court of mails, and other weapons used in wars throughout the course of Indian history. It also contains statues and busts of various war heroes of India.
This room contains cross-sectional drawings, architectural models, and various pieces of machinery used in different factories all over the country. It celebrates the initiative for industrial growth and development in the country.
The Vastu Sangrahalaya has collected so many pieces over the years that the rooms fell short for the number of things to display. This corridor is filled with masks, utensils, postcards, jewellery, and other ornamental artefacts from all over the country and from different periods of time.
The closest bus stop is JM Road.
It is 10 minutes away from the railway station and 22 minutes away from the airport.