Named after Fr. Henry Heras, S. J., the Heras Institute
Museum holds valuable and interesting artefacts not only from India but also
from West Asia. Perhaps the only institution in India to possess
Mesopotamian cylindrical seals of various periods, the museum is the
realization of Fr. Heras' dedicated work over three decades. The section
on Indian culture has an impressive collection of Ghandara sculptures depicting
scenes and events from the life of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva besides a
prized panel representing Amrapali, the well-known courtesan of Vaishali,
donating a mango-grove to Buddha. There are representative images and
statues of major religious groups like the Shaivite, Vaishnavite, Jain,
Buddhist and Hindu ritual vessels and Nepali artefacts. |
Other sections in the Museum are: Miniature paintings
- there is a profusely illustrated manuscript of Madhumalati, an exquisite
piece of Kotah art of 1771 A.D., Indian Christian Art, rare book and map
collections; terracotas from the Graeco-Parthian period, Indus Valley scripts,
seals that range from the 3rd millennium B. C. to the Assyrian period.
The museum is attached to the Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture,
and is open to research students and scholars. |