Karnataka's oldest museum turns 156

BENGALURU: Karnataka’s oldest and south India’s second-oldest museum, the Government Museum, Bengaluru, turned 156 on Wednesday.
The museum was first established in a converted prison quarters on what is now Museum Road on August 18, 1865. It first bore the name Mysore Museum. In 1877, it was shifted to its current premises on Kasturba Road, next to where Visvesvaraya Museum stands.
The museum, which was inaugurated with much fanfare, had 80,213 visitors walking in to see the artifacts on display during the first year. Records show that many of the visitors were not literates.
The Mysore Gazetteer records the celebrations at the launch with exhibits, including silk, cotton, wool, seeds, oil, drugs, old coins, rocks and stuffed animals exclusively belonging to the region.
But the history behind how a prison complex in the city made way for a fine museum lies in the records at Karnataka State Archives. It all started with the transfer and posting of British officer and surgeon Edward Green Balfour from Madras to Bangalore in 1861 as the deputy inspector general of hospitals, Bangalore Cantonment. Balfour, who had helped unveil the Madras Museum, the oldest in south India, on April 29, 1851, proposed that Mysore state with a rich history needed a museum to showcase its specialities, especially in its capital city.
From 1863 onwards, a team lead by Dr Balfour started collecting various items for the museum and many Bangaloreans and wealthy people from other parts of the state. Even Travancore contributed rare items in their possession for the cause.
Records show that in 1864, the Bangalore Prison Complex — located where SBI state headquarters stands now — was evacuated to be moved to where Freedom Park is today. Also, a decision was taken to open the museum at the jail superintendent’s quarters, which is now the Museum of Communication under India Post on Museum Road.
With a total of 3,203 donated items, including rare coins, stones, silk and even hunted and stuffed animals, the first museum of the state opened its doors on August 18, 1865 for the public for free visits from 6.30am to 6pm on all days. Thus the road outside was christened Museum Road in the later years.
From the archieves
A 150-year-old record at the state archieves from July 1866 shows that the museum had 19,873 visitors for the month and 14,146 were unable to put their signature, but marked their entry. This went to show how the Mysore museum was the first in the country to encourage unlettered visitors even in the 19th century. The Museum Association in London, a premier body, in their 1936 report lauded the museum in Bangalore for its exhibits and the enthusiasm of people in visiting the place.
According to historians, the first museum was fondly known as the Tamasha Bungalow among locals as many found the stuffed animals on display the high point. The need for a bigger facility due to growing crowds prompted the museum to be shifted to its present location on Kasturba Road.
From its unveiling in 1865, the museum allowed free entry for the public till February 27, 1965, when a fee of 10 paise for adults and 5 paise for kids was introduced, records show. The entry fee now is Rs 20 for adults and Rs 10 for children.