The Govt. Museum, National Art Gallery & Connemara Library

The Pantheon complex was built before 1789 and was a place of assemblage for the British. The Government bought it in 1830 and later several new buildings were added to it. Today this complex houses the Government Museum, the National Art Gallery and the Connemara Public Library.

The Government Museum was established in the year 1857 and has the country’s best collection of South Indian bronzes, both ancient and modern which include beautiful bronze icons of Nataraja, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. The museum also has geology and anthropology sections. The Amaravathi Gallery contains the rare second century marble sculptures, depicting important events in the life of Gautama Buddha. The sculptures were unearthed from the Buddhist ruins at Amaravathi and are housed here. The bronzes from the 10th and 13th centuries and handicrafts from the 11th and 12th centuries also are seen here. The National Art Gallery exhibits several beautiful paintings that include 16th and 18th century ones from Rajasthan, the Mughal period and 17thcentury Deccani art.

Timings - 9.30 am - 5.30 pm and open all days except Fridays.