Mymensingh Museum ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ জাদুঘর) is located at the bagan bari ("garden house") of

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...

Madan Babu at 17 Amrita Babu Road,

Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...

, Bangladesh. The museum, which began as an important regional institution for preservation of locally collected historical evidence, lacks proper preservation. Its objective is to preserve the rare and unique relics of local architecture, sculpture, metal works, utensils, handwritten scripts on paper and leaf, and commercial products. Collected from the palaces of

Mymensingh District Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Netr ...

zamindars, the museum's initial collection included 214 articles. They are housed in three rooms within the museum.

History

The museum was established in 1969 at the initiative of the-then Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh. Initially run by the Mymensingh Municipality, the Department of Archaeology, Cultural Affairs Ministry took charge of the museum in 1989. By 1995, it was enlisted in the gazette.

Collections

The collection includes manuscripts and coins, though many are not on display due to insufficient showcase space. A peacock mummy comes from Mymensingh Medical College. Bamboo and cane items, preserved birds, photographs and pottery were damaged during a renovation in 1999–2001. Several articles were collected from zamindar palaces. The Muktagacha zamindar palace contribution includes a stone flower vase, a compass, antique clocks, Bakharee (an ornament), pottery, weaving machines, ornamental flower tub stands, candle stands, iron shelves and sports items; statuary and sculptures include those of

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a go ...

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, and a dragon; natural history items include a tiger head, two deer heads, and the head of a wild bull. Elephant heads, a sofa set, Italian statues, and a huge shade used during hunting come from the Gouripur zamindar palace. A rhinoceros hide and a table with a marble stone top were acquired from The Atharabari zamindar palace. The museum contains many paintings of rural Bengal.

References

{{Museums in Bangladesh Museums established in 1969 History museums in Bangladesh Mymensingh Archaeological sites in Mymensingh district