VIJAYAWADA: The Bapu Museum, one of Andhra Pradesh’s most significant cultural landmarks, marked International Museum Day on May 18 by opening its doors free of cost to visitors.
Established in 1887 as the Victoria Jubilee Museum during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the Indo-European style building has evolved into a centre for history, archaeology, art and culture.
Its galleries trace civilisation from prehistoric times to the medieval period, with collections ranging from stone tools and terracotta artefacts to Buddhist sculptures and medieval temple idols.
NTR District Collector G Lakshmisha told TNIE, “Bapu Museum is one of the finest museums in Andhra Pradesh with great historical significance. The museum is linked to an important chapter in India’s freedom movement. In the 1920s, during a meeting of the Indian National Congress held at the museum premises, freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya presented the design of the tricolour flag to Mahatma Gandhi. The event gave the museum a special place in the history of the national movement. In view of International Museum Day, the museum will remain open free of cost for visitors on Monday.”
Historian Dr Govindu Surendra, General Secretary of the AP History Congress, speaking to TNIE, said, “Beyond preserving artefacts, the museum serves as an educational space connecting people with the region’s rich cultural and historical legacy. The rich heritage wealth of Andhra Pradesh is presently preserved in museums located in different parts of the country. Efforts can now be made to bring them back to the Bapu Museum in Vijayawada. In particular, there is a responsibility to restore and bring back the Amaravati artefacts. Establishing museums in the newly formed district headquarters will help expand the tourism sector across the State.”
