A museum is a place where antique things and art are preserved for the public to be seen. A visit to a museum imparts us knowledge about the civilisation of the past.
I was fortunate enough to have a chance to visit Natural History Museum in Delhi. It is housed in a huge building, divided into various sections. Each section has different exhibits.
In the arms section are displayed old swords, spikes, daggers, helmets, bows and arrows and other weapons of war. There is a model of a battle scene in a glass case.
The adjoining room has articles of household use, dug up from old historical sites. They give a picture of the domestic life of the ancient people. There are pots and pans, silver ornaments, bangles, footwear, clothes and musical instruments of various kinds.
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In the sculpture section are the life-size statues of Gautama Buddha and idols of gods and goddesses.
Yet another section has a large number of paintings. These are paintings of court scenes, horse races, fights of wild animals and dances. The paintings of the Mughal period are the wonderful specimens of art.
One section has models of irrigation schemes, dams and hydro-electric projects. There are records of the achievements made by Indian states after independence. This shows how our country is marching ahead towards progress and prosperity.