Chanderi Museum / Archeological Museum - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 3 km from Chanderi Bus Station, Chanderi Museum is an archaeological museum located in the historical city of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh. Situated at the intersection of Mungaoli and Isagarh, it is one of the popular tourist places in Chanderi.

Built-in the year 1999, Chanderi Archaeological Museum was constructed to preserve the remains of the heritage and history of Chanderi. The beautifully designed museum building is set amidst enchantingly landscaped gardens. The ASI Museum has a collection of ancient sculptures, stone carvings, remains of the Jain temples found in Chanderi, Stone-Age artifacts, coins, and ornaments. Remains of Jain temples from Thubon and Boodhi Chanderi dating back to the 10th and 11th century can be found here, most of which consists of statues of different Tirthankaras.

The Chanderi Museum consists of 5 galleries namely History of Chanderi Gallery, Vaishnava Gallery, Shaiva & Shakta Gallery, Jaina Gallery, and Anandam Gallery. The History Gallery showcases the history and heritage of Chanderi and the surrounding regions right from pre-historic times. The exhibits here include pre-historic paintings, paleolithic and neolithic tools, ornaments, pottery, and other objects made of iron and other metals. The Jaina Gallery is a timeline of the growth of Jainism in the region. It houses exquisite sculptures of different Jain Tirthankaras. These include beautiful sculptures of Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, as well as those of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, Parshvanatha the 23rd Tirthankara, Neminatha the 22nd Tirthankara, and many others.

One of the most spectacular galleries in the ASI Museum, Chanderi is the Vaishnava Gallery that houses some amazing sculptures of the Hindu deity Vishnu and his different avatars. One of the exhibits not to be missed is that of the Varaha avatar of Vishnu. This beautiful sculpture is embellished with intricate carvings across its body. While Shaiva & Shakta Gallery is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Shakti. It has beautiful sculptures of Shiva and Shakti in their different forms. One of the most beautiful depictions of Shiva and Parvati shows the divine couple in an intimate moment.

The Anandam Gallery has Mughal paintings, inscriptions, and other artifacts related to the various Mughal monuments of Chanderi. The gallery also has a collection of coins, weapons, and other objects related to different dynasties that ruled over the region. Besides, the open-air gallery around the central courtyard is displayed around 10 inscriptions in the Sanskrit language but in different scripts. Also, the museum has a library that houses around 3000 books that provide more information on the history of this province.

Timings: 9 AM - 5 PM, Closed on Friday

Entry: Rs. 5 for Person