Goa Travel Tourism >> Goa Travel Guide >> Museums & Art Gallery in Goa >> Archaeological Museum in Goa
Archaeological Museum in Goa
Archaeological Museum & Portrait Gallery |
| The museum has been functioning since 1964 in the
abandoned convent of St. Francis of Assisi and is maintained by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The collection consists of
Brahmanical sculptures hero-stones and sati stones of the early and late
medieval periods, portraits, coins and currency, revenue and court fee
stamps, wooden and bronze sculptures and armoury of the Portuguese
period. Rejuvenating The Look The Museum was rearranged and reorganised completely in connection with the CHOGM Retreat in Goa during 1982. A long hall lying to the left side of the entrance to the Museum was converted into 2 galleries by laying RCC floor with a newly constructed wide staircase at the extreme west to facilitate access to the first floor. The new Annexe building thus provided additional area to the existing Museum and finally the entire first floor re-laid with a teakwood floor resembling the original in order to bring uniform look to the whole complex. The 3-6m high bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque greets the visitors at the entrance. In the visitors lobby sea routes of early explorers, map showing site museums in India, map of Goa and a few photographs of monuments of Goa and Daman, and map showing centrally protected monuments in India are on display. The Key Gallery The key gallery in the ground floor serves as an introduction to the nature of exhibits in the museum. As one enters the key gallery the visitor is introduced to the short history of Goa in the form of an open book placed on a pedestal. The plan of the museum is on the left sidewall. Taking right turn one comes across a wall showcase containing middle and upper Paleolithic stone tools, Microliths and a few Neolithic Celts. A short historical background highlighting the prehistory of Goa and the location of prehistoric sites is shown in the map of Goa. The second showcase deals with the early history of Goa. The excavated materials from Chandor, one of the ancient capital cities of goa are displayed in this showcase along with the ground plan of a Brahmanical temple and available early historical antiquities i.e., cast copper coins of 3rd century BC, copper nails, rings, etc. The next phases of cultural sequence are shown with the help of available sculptures of the Brahmanical deities and displayed in chronological order with the bust of siva and parvati, followed by the sculptures of the Silaharas and Kadambas of Goa |
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Exhibits / Collection Other objects on
displays are lintel of a temple depicting various types of Shikharas,
architectural pieces, sati-stones, hero-stones, an inscribed slab
containing Kannada inscription of 'Devaraya', the Vijayanagar king,
recording the grant of a Jaina Basti, Arabic and Portuguese
inscriptions, wooden statue of John, the Baptist, paintings on wood /
canvas of Portuguese Governors Pedro de Castro, Fernando Martings
Mascarenhas, nativity of Jesus, Jesus helping St. Joseph, etc. royal
coat of arms, Bishop coat of arms on stone, wooden sculptures of infant
Jesus, St. Mary sculptured panels representing floral decorations, Goan
type basket - full of fruits and the tombstone of D. Diogo de Noronha,
the first captain of Daman, Brahmanical Gods and Goddesses and Christian
Saints are also exhibited in a showcase in the centre of the big hall.
Gallery 2,3,4 and 5 are located in the quadrangle in the ground floor.
In Gallery 2 are displayed models of various types of Shikharas, replica
of pillar, architectural pieces, a Shiva-Linga and a 'Nandi'. In Gallery
6, the visitor can have a glance at the short history of the paintings
of Governors and Viceroys of Goa, before they proceed to appreciate a
large number of portraits on wood and canvas. In the vertical type coin
showcase are exhibited the Portuguese currency and silver
/copper/lead/brass coins. The major denominations include the Portuguese
Manoel, Leal and the indigenous Pardav, Tanga, Xerafins, Rupia, etc. In
this gallery, wooden sculptures of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier, St. Joseph
and other Christian Saints are also on display. A model of the fort of
Diu is on view in this gallery. In Gallery 7 are displayed the portrait
paintings of Governors/Viceroys. In the showcase are exhibited the
plaster cast bust of Philippe Bernado Guedes, Governor, on one side and
the wooden statue of St. Peter on the other side. In Gallery 8 are
displayed the paintings of Governors/ Viceroys, President of Portugal
and Dr. Salazar, the prime minister of Portugal during whose time Goa
was liberated by Indian army on 19th December 1961. In a small niche on
the northern wall is the bust of Queen Maria da Glorida of Portugal. In
front of the Museum building are exhibited six canons of different
sizes. A photograph of Vassalo-de-Silva, the last Governor General is on
display. |
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Display Sections Displaying Some Priceless
PossessionsThe important exhibits on display in this Gallery are the standing Lord Vishnu accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Garuda on left and right respectively, with exquisite carvings accommodating ten incarnations on the Prabhavali, standing Surya accompanied by Danda and Pingala, Gajalakshmi, Mahishasuramardini and seated Uma-Maheshvara. |
General Information |
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Timings Open Daily Except Fridays From
10.00 am To 5.00 pm. |
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Location Old Goa, Goa. |
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Origin 1964. |
Prime AttrACTIONs of Panjim |
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At the place where two of Goa's famous rivers meet the
Arabian Sea is the secluded bay of Dona Paula with a fine view of the
Marmagao Harbour. more.. |
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Built in 1602, the only ruin of the
Church of St. Augustine on the Holy Hill at Old Goa near the Nunnery, is
a lofty 46-metre high tower defying the torrential rains.
more.. |
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About 2-km on the main road
towards Ponda, a Kuchcha road branches off to a place where a cross is
fixed. The road leads to a hill on which, commanding a picturesque view,
is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount more.. |
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In the Holy Hill, on the way
to the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, is a huge three-storeyed
building of laterite which was originally lime-plastered but is now
plastered with cement. more.. |
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Not far to the west of the
Basilica of the Bom Jesus is the Holy Hill at the extremity of which is
the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. more.. |
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To the west of the Se
Cathedral is the former palace of the Archbishop that connects the Se
Cathedral to the Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi.
more.. |
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It is built of laterite
plastered with lime mortar, with tiled roof supported by wooden rafters
is a plain chapel with only one altar. more.. |
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Aguada Fort, which crowns the rocky flattened top of the
headland, is the best-preserved Portuguese bastion in Goa. Built in 1612
to protect the northern shores of the Mandovi estuary from Dutch and
Maratha raiders more.. |
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The Museum of Goa is housed at a new Building at
the Patto Plaze near the Ourem creek, Panaji. The most noteworthy
feature of Panjim's State Archeological Museum is its imposing size,
which stands in glaringly inverse proportion to the scale of the
collection inside. more.. |
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Up in the lush foothills of the Western Ghats, Bondla
is good place to see Sambhar and Wild Boar. It is smallest of the Goan
Wildlife Sanctuaries. Its area is 8-sq-kms but easiest one to reach.
more.. |
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A
mere 45 minute bus ride up the coast from the capital, Calangute is
Goa's busiest and most commercialized resort more.. |
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On the way to Dona Paula, 1-km ahead of the confluence
of the Arabian Sea and Mandvi River, under the palm shade, is "Gasper
Dias" or Miramar Beach and is just 3-km away from the capital city
of Panjim. more.. |
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The Portuguese Viceroy Redondo commissioned the Se,
or St. Catherine's' Cathedral, southwest of St. Cajetan's, to be "a
grandiose church worthy of the wealth, power and fame of the Portuguese
who dominated the seas from the Atlantic to the Pacific".
more.. |
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3-km away from Banastari Bridge on
Panaji-Ponda Road is situated the noteworthy temple dedicated to Devaki
Krishna at Marcel. The deity is said to have been brought from Chorao in
Tiswadi to Mayem in Bicholim and then shifted to its present place
during the days of religious persecution by the alien rulers.
more.. |
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Situated in West Goa, the Mahadeva
Temple in Tambdi Surla is the state's only prominent reminder of the
pre-Portuguese temple architecture. Maintained by the ASI (Archeological
Survey of India), this 12th century temple boasts of some fine relief's
on the 'Shikhara' (spire) depicting a plethora of Gods and Goddesses.
more.. |
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The temple tour can be resumed by offering
prostrations unto Goddess Mahalakshmi, the presiding deity of Panaji,
the capital of Goa. The main temple has been reconstructed recently. The
main festivals at this temple are Navaratri and Chaitra Purnima.
more.. |
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As one tries to return to Panaji from
Harvalem, one can visit the famous temple of Sri Saptakoteshwar Naroa,
Bicholim. Sri Saptakoteshwara was the patron deity of the Kadambas who
had built a beautiful temple dedicated to this deity at the Diwar
Island. more.. |
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From Kansarpal one can proceed to Sanquelim,
the hometown of the Ranes of Satari who played key role in Goa's freedom
struggle. The ancestors of the present Rane family, who are believed to
have migrated to Goa from Udaipur about 600 years ago, built the famous
Sri Vithal temple situated on the bank of Valvanta River.
more.. |
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Further to the west of the Church of
St. Francis of Assisi is the chapel of St. Catherine. Built of laterite
blocks it has a tower on either side of the façade. The chapel in
the interior, having only one altar is plain more.. |
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Opposite the Se Cathedral, beyond the
road is the large and beautiful church of St. Cajetan built of laterite
blocks, which were lime plastered. more.. |
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Nothing remains of the Church of the
Carmelites excepting the façade and a raised pavement, which
served as an altar. Its location is to the southeast of the Church of
St. Cajetan more.. |
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Situated to the east of
the tower of St. Augustine it is a plain looking building constructed in
the beginning of the 18th century. The convent was abandoned in 1835.
The Society of the Misericordia occupied it for some time.
more.. |
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On the
southern outskirts of Old Goa is a hill on which stand this convent and
church. more.. |
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Immediately
to the south of the main road is the Professed House, a two-storeyed
laterite building covered with lime plaster. Despite the opposition,
which the Jesuits faced, the building was completed in 1585.
more.. |
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To the west of the tower of St.
Augustine is the Royal Chapel dedicated to St. Anthony, the national
saint of Portugal and held in great veneration by the Portuguese. It was
built in the beginning of the 17th century. more.. |
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Condolim Beach Four or five years ago,
Candolim, at the far southern end of Calangute beach, was a surprisingly
sedate resort, appealing to an odd mixture of middle-class Bombayites,
and Burgundy-clad Sannyasins taking a break from the Rajneesh Ashram at
Pune. |
Hotels & Resorts in Goa |
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Suggested Tour Packages
Tour
Code: GTT - 001 Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights Destinations Covered: Mumbai - Goa - Cochin - Mumbai |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 004 Duration: 10 Days / 9 Nights Destinations Covered: Trivandrum - Kovalam - Kanya Kumari - Vattakottai - Kovalam - Varkala - Cochin - Goa |
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Tour
Code: GTT - 006 Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights Destinations Covered: Goa - Panjim - Savoi - Panaji |
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