Pranita Harad

Pranita Harad is a research scholar pursuing her doctoral research in Archaeology from Deccan College, Pune. Her interest fields cover archaeology, art history, museology and culture with a special reference of Maharashtra. She has written articles on Indian culture and heritage for various websites and blogs. Currently she is working as consultant-curator for an upcoming museum, ‘Ulhas Museum’ in Titwala (Dist. Thane) and is a freelance content writer for Marathi Vishwakosh (Ancient History).

Often described as Pune’s ‘hidden treasure’, Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is a three-storeyed building which houses a vast collection of artifacts collected personally by Dr Dinkar Gangadhar Kelkar. From his travels across the length and breadth of the country, he collected as many as 20,000 rare exhibits some of which date back to the Mughal and Maratha periods.

 

Lobbies embellished with intricately carved archways, high ceilings, and antique chandeliers, add to the grandeur of the museum. From having an entire section dedicated to different types of vessels used in various eras to a display of swords and armours made out of fish scales and crocodile skin, the museum is full of surprises.

The complex also features a fine collection of musical instruments, particularly a khol of Keshavrao Bhole, a flute of Pannalal Ghosh and a tanpura of Sawai Gandharva. Ornaments made out of ivory, silver, and gold; figures sculpted in brass and terracotta; Paithani Sarees with zari of real gold all bestow antiquarian value to the exhibits. An attempt to recreate the palace of Mastani, the wife of the Peshwa Bajirao I, is the highlight of the museum for it upholds the history of the city. This image gallery showcases pictures of some objects of everyday art at the museum.