Puducherry Museum

Puducherry rose to prominence and acquired its unique identity and stature under French rule. The Puducherry Museum provides an ambience typically unique and presents glimpses of its passage through the geological, archaeological and historical periods and seeks to highlight the many facets of its arts and crafts which have now become part of Puducherry’s rich heritage.

This multi-purpose Museum was established in the year 1983.

The following galleries/sections are set up in the museum.

1. The French India Gallery (One)

All the five different segments, comprising four different aspects of Office Rooms (cabinet de travail) and the numismatic section (in the middle) displayed in the Central Hall, reflect a taste for tradition and refinement. Also on display in the ‘cabinet de travail’ is a replica of a chair used by Governor Dupleix (1742-1754).

In segment of this gallery is displayed a hand operated Gutenberg mode of printing machine the oldest legacy retrieved from the ‘Imprimerie du Gouvernement’. Also on display are specimens of books and journals printed in the course of XIX and XX centuries. An issue of ‘Vijaya’ the first daily edited by Poet Subramania Bharathi is also on display there.

2. The Archaeology Section

This gallery is made up of two different segments, one displaying artifacts associated with Megalithic and Neolithic period and the other displaying artifacts associated with the historic period.

3. The Bronze Gallery

Exquisite pieces of divine images, mostly found as treasure troves adorn the bronze gallery. The panchaloga images of the Dancing Siva (Nataraja) umamaheswara, thiripurantaka/thiripurasundari in the graceful tribhanga posture from Sorakkudi. There are specimens of bronzes of the Vijayanagar and Nayaka periods. Also on display are Pooja utensils, sara vilakku, kuthu villaku, addukku deepam etc., A few hanging lamps of a later period adorn the galleries.

4. Display of Vehiccles (Southern Courtyard)

A bullock drawn coach used by the progenies of the more famous Dewan Kanakaraya Mudaliar who helped the French to establish their settlement in Puducherry early in 1674, a unique type of vehicle known as pousse-pousse with a mechanical steering operated by the passenger, but pushed from behind and pulled by rope in front very much liked by Poet Bharathi an ornamental palanquin provided with a chair like seat used by Divan Nidarajappayyar sometime during the last quarter of the XVIII century (donated) are also on display here.

5. Sculptures (Courtyard- North and South)

A few specimen of Pallava and Chola sculptures were displayed in and around the ‘Place de Government’ since the French days. Those which were on display in the ‘Palais du Gouvernemen’ have recently been installed in the front courtyard.

6. French India Gallery (Two) Comprising

a) The Drawing Chamber/Salon (Central Hall)
b) The Dinning Chamber/Salle d’ Manger
c) The Bed Chamber/ Chambre a coucher

provide a ‘coup d’’oeil of a typical or household with furniture carrying features of ‘French style’ as well as the hybrid ‘Franco Indian Style’ in vogue in France as well as French India during the XVII and XIX centuries.

Also on display are pianos, lamps, paintings, pictures and clocks besides fixtures and decorative pieces which embellished the homes in Puducherry. In the ‘Chamber a coucher’ one can find a cot believed to have been used by Dupleix (XVIII century)

7. The Arms Gallery

In this gallery are displayed different types of swords, lances, spears, muskets, guns, pistols, cannons, canon balls etc., that were used in Puducherry.

Also on display you’ll find a primitive type of bow and arrow besides choppers, daggers, walking sticks with camouflaged weapons, iron and wooden gadgets and a boomerang. The oldest piece on display is a rusted sword (fashioned like the Roman swords) retrieved recently from a burial urn in Ousoudou village not far from Puducherry.

8. Gallery of Art and Crafts (Western Wing)

Displayed in two adjacent halls respectively are a variety of hand made items and artifacts crafted by artisans in France and Puducherry.

9. The Geological Section (Southern Colonnade)

Specimens of sands, shells, peat, pebbles, limestone’s and clays which form the principal mineral resources of Puducherry are displayed here. Other minerals displayed here include heavy sand and lignite. Beach sands containing layers of limonite, granite and magnetite concentrations found along the Karaikal coast are also on view.

Also displayed are specimens of rocks and minerals of the States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh besides Jammu and Kashmir.

Puducherry Museum Visiting Hours

Opened For Public From Tuesday To Sunday
Timing: 10.00 AM To 5.00 PM(Without Lunch Break)
Monday is Weekly Holiday

Puducherry Museum Phone No. 0413-2223950