(Calcutta - West Bengal)

Asiatic Society, Calcutta

Established in 1784. Collections include valuable portraits and sculptures including original paintings by Rubens, Guido, Reynolds, Home and others; the Library (General Section) has over 100000 volumes while the Sanskrit Section has over 27,000 books and manuscripts in various languages, 48 copper plates, a large number of coins, early Pala painted manuscripts, pints and engravings.

Asiatic Society is the first modern museum in Asia. It is a famous center of Indology, Literature and Scientific Research and is situated at 1, Park Street, Calcutta-16. The society started a public museum in 1814. The Library of this institution contains approximately 20,000 volumes inclusive of 8,000 rare Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian & Hindi manuscript. The archaeological relics, geological and ethnological specimens which the museum of this society possessed formed the nucleus of the Indian Museum. The society has a few pieces of sculpture which  includes an image of Brahma (12th century). The Barhut Asokan Rock Edict (BC 250) in Pali written in the Brahmi script is one of the most important exhibits.

Asiatic Society
1 Park Street
Calcutta - 700 016

Timings : 12.00 noon to 7.00 pm; Saturdays: 12.00 noon to 3.30 pm
Closed on Sundays.