The Goa State Museum is located in Patto, Panjim in Goa within easy reach of many a Goa resort. There is culture to be seen and history to be learnt here, and the journey – be it an hour from Alila Diwa Goa or two minutes from Casa de Moeda Museum you have been visiting – is definitely worth it. The current museum is a later addition, the original structure being a small rented building that opened to the public in 1977. Prior to that, it was the Archeology Museum of the Department of Archives. The new building with all its grandeur was opened only in 1996 and is now a prime place to illustrate the evolution of Goa through history. There are fourteen galleries in the Goa State Museum, each rich and colourful in its own way. There is Banerji Art Gallery, Christian Art Gallery, Contemporary Art Gallery, Cultural Anthropology, Environment & Development Gallery, Furniture Gallery, Geology Gallery, Goa’s Freedom Struggle Gallery, Menezes Braganza Gallery, Natural Heritage of Goa Gallery, Numismatics Gallery, Printing History Gallery, Religious Expression Gallery, and Sculpture Gallery. Each gallery has descriptive notices explaining the importance of each piece of artefact. There are some which have been donated by other Museums, while Banerji Gallery is almost exclusively items donated by a former governor of Goa S.K. Banerji.
The Goa State Museum can be reached by bus or by taxi, although the latter is more efficient in terms of time and convenience. As Indian public transport could be a daunting experience to those who are new to it, taxis are a healthier option. It is open only during the weekdays – Monday to Friday – from 9.30 in the morning until 5.30 in the evening. You might want to schedule your visits towards the morning, though, as the Museum could be crowded towards the evenings.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.