The establishment of Kutch Museum in Bhuj by Maharao Khengarji III gave the state of Kutch the distinction of having Gujarat’s first museum. At its inception, on July 1, 1877, the Kutch Museum was part of the School of Art, also established by Maharao Khengarji III. Both these institutes came under the leadership of Mr J.D. Esperance who had previously worked at the Sir JJ School of Art in Bombay.
At least 5,897 artefacts created by artists from all over India for Maharao Khengarji III’s wedding, on February 19, 1884, were eventually donated to the museum, forming its first collection. Today, the multidisciplinary collection of the Kutch Museum exhibits the distinct diversity of the region through its artefacts, ranging in themes from art and archaeological findings to numismatics, epigraphy, weaponry, handicrafts and more. This image gallery showcases some of the artefacts from the Kutch Museum collection.
