Journey through time: Payana Museum showcases 50 years of vintage car collection
A drive to Srirangapatna that sits along the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway is a car metaphor. You pass a big building whose façade resembles a car tyre. Hard to miss. This newly opened Payana car museum is an epiphany of auto buff Dr D Veerendra Heggade, who has personally collected each of the vintage cars over the last 50 years. A shiny black 1962 Standard Herald, which is no longer seen on the streets thanks to no spare parts or customers, greets visitors at the entrance.
Payana in Kannada stands for ‘journey’, and true to its name, a visit to the museum is like taking a journey through time. “Vintage vehicles function not solely as means of transportation but also as ambassadors and tangible remnants of history and heritage. They remind us of the grace and elegance of a bygone era,” Heggade spouts flourishing phrases.
Spread over 23 acres, the museum houses 69 vehicles. The collection reflect different eras when tyres ruled the road, while offering a comprehensive overview of the automotive industry’s evolution. The museum is not just a drop-in-look-selfie place but has interactive exhibits that offer insights into the rich history through live models. “Echoing the ethos of ‘from carts to cars’, Payana proudly showcases the evolution of automobile travel,” says Shraddha Amith, Director, Payana Museum.
Rolls Royce fans can trace all the models produced right from 1904 to 2022. Cars used by eminent personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, the Mysore Maharaja and Sir CV Raman are on display. There is a 1946 Ford Perfect, a 1947 French Citroen Traction and an American Buick of the same year. The 1955 Chevrolet Belair, the 1956 Indian Hindustan Landmaster and the 1961 Hindustan Ambassador shows the progress of the automobile on India’s toads.
Heggade has not restricted the treasure of Payana to cars. Mumbai has a special place here: he showcases heritage vehicles like the iconic double-decker bus of Mumbai and the extinct kaali-peeli’ taxis. There are Willy trucks, jeeps used during World War 2, a Dodge Power Wagon and recent cars such as a 1980s Mercedes Benz, a 1991 Contessa classic and even a electric Reva.
The purpose of every museum is not just to entertain visitors with pretty or rare things but also to give people a chance to enter history. By no means a complete tour of the history of automobile travel in India, Heggade has, however, put together a collection which has just let out the clutch.