Did you know that Bangalore has a museum dedicated to Kempegowda? Kempegowda Museum in Bangalore is one of the secret gems that you can find in the city. When I discovered this with my friend Divya as part of Bengaluru Prayana walks, I was surprised too. Nobody in my circle, including Bangalore locals, knew about this museum. This museum has not been marketed or promoted enough for the locals to know that there is a museum for Kempegowda I.
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About Kempegowda Museum in Bangalore
Located in the heritage listed building of Mayo Hall, Kempegowda Museum in Bangalore is dedicated to its founder and Yelahanka chieftain Kempegowda I. Established in 2011, the museum is a government museum which was inaugurated by then Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa.
What to expect at Kempegowda Museum in Bangalore?
The museum is located on the first floor and a beautiful set of stairs lead the visitors to the museum. When you enter the first floor, you can see the floor plan of the museum that helps you plan your area of interest.
Also Read | Reasons why you need to visit Bangalore
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Painted in Cantonment colours of red and white, the museum has a huge hall with hoardings, posters and pictures. These pictures talk about various forts, temples, buildings, lakes that were built by Kempegowda I. They also have inscriptions from that time that are showcased in the museum.
Designed by K. N. Suryaprakash, the museum has a floor made up on framed 18th century Bangalore map and the four corners of the map have tower shaped panels indicating the four watch towers that Kempegowda I built to mark the boundaries of Bangalore. You can visit one of these watch towers at Lalbagh Botanical Garden. These panels displayed at the museum talk about the watch towers, show the pictures and illustrations.
Visitor Information
- The museum is open from Monday to Saturday between 9 AM and 5 PM.
- There is no entrance fee to visit the museum.
- You need at least an hour to see and read the posters and hoardings.
- Photographs are not allowed at all places in the museum.
How to get to Kempegowda Museum?
Driving
The Mayo Hall is located on Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road and is around 2 kilometres from Bangalore General Post Office (GPO). It is also just around 550 metres from Brigade Road. There is parking available at the museum.
Public transportation
- Metro station – The closest metro station to the museum is MG Road metro station, which is around 600 to 700 metres from the museum. Refer Namma Metro for up to date information on metros.
- Buses – There are frequent buses, operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), between various parts of the city and MG Road.
- Auto Rickshaws – You can hire auto rickshaws to travel around in Bangalore. They are supposed to charge only by the metre.
Read Transport in Bangalore for detailed information on how you can travel between places in Bangalore.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Kempegowda Museum
Q: Where is Kempegowda museum located?
Kempegowda museum is located in the same building as the Mayo Hall on MG Road.
Q: How to get to Kempegowda museum?
The best way to get to Kempegowda museum is by taking a metro and getting off at MG Road or Trinity Circle metro stations. From there, the museum is less than 750 metres.
Q: How much does it cost to enter Kempegowda museum?
There is no entrance fee to enter Kempegowda museum.
Q: What is the best time to visit Kempegowda museum?
The best time to visit the museum is anytime during the day as there are not many people.
Q: How much time should I spend at Kempegowda museum?
You can spend around one hour reading and seeing the hoardings and illustrations.
Q: What can I see at Kempegowda museum?
The highlight is the 18th century Bangalore map that has been used as the floor. And then have a look at the panels indicating the watch towers built by Kempegowda I.
Q: When is Kempegowda museum open?
The museum is open from Monday to Saturday between 9 AM and 5 Pm.
Q: What are the other things that I can do around Kempegowda museum?
The museum is located in the centre of Bangalore and there are plenty of things you can do around the museum:
- Visit the Central or Garuda Malls.
- Take a walk from Trinity Circle to Church Street.
- See the cartoons at Indian Cartoon Gallery which is India’s only cartoon gallery.
- See the 3 iconic churches of Bangalore.
- Shop at Church Street.
- Spend an afternoon at Cubbon Park or Lalbagh Botanical Garden.
Q: What are the other museums that I can see in Bangalore?
Bangalore has heaps of museums and some of them are:
- Sandesha museum dedicated to Indian communication system.
- Government museum with artefacts dating to 1st and 2nd centuries.
- HAL Aero museum.
- HMT Watch museum.
- Indian Musical Museum.
Closing Notes
Kempegowda Museum in Bangalore is one of the hidden and offbeat places to see in Bangalore. Even though the museum is not too large, it is still worth visiting and spending an hour or two at the museum.
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