Delhi's Crafts Museum Is A Lively & Fascinating Gem Gracing The City's Crown

Very few places, especially museums, offer an opportunity to watch the most amazing pieces of craft and art take shape right in front of your eyes! Yes, the Crafts Museum in Delhi is one lively and fascinating museum, where you can actually sit down with the artisan as he works on his piece. 
Even the location of Crafts Museum is well thought out, because it sits in the precincts of Pragati Maidan, which is witness to countless fairs and exhibitions. Ride a Metro from anywhere in the underground network and it will land you right outside Pragati Maidan, and a short walk is all it takes to carry you into the museum complex.

Handicrafts from Around India

If you're a serious art lover, you should make it to the museum soon after it opens in the mornings to enjoy the vast and varied exhibits on display from all corners of the country. Not only are there handicrafts that represent the various states of India, but even the structures housing these exhibits are just as marvellous, depicting the typical architectural style of the region. From the sandstone Havelis of Rajasthan, which are like poetry in stone to pagoda-like wooden structures of the North-Eastern states and thatched mud houses with frescoes on the entrance, India in all its glory and culture is laid bare for all to enjoy. 

The Soothing Ambience

Some people get put off by the idea of visiting a museum because mostly these places are musty, dark, dull, uninspiring and may even smell bad. But the Crafts Museum is unique and very refreshing in this sense! The layout of the place, as you enter, makes you feel right at home and the whole experience will make you feel more connected and in touch with your artistic soul. The setting and relaxed, unhurried ambience as you stroll past a village artist carving a peacock out of a piece of wood, oblivious to the world around him is what makes it so special.

A Creative Space

The museum has indoor passages leading to huge halls displaying crafts in a manner similar to other museums. But once you reach the courtyards and the outdoor open-air spaces of the museum, it takes on an entirely new charm, full of sights and sounds of rural and semi-urban craftsmen all over the courtyards, bent over something or the other like wood, metal or stone and even fabrics. This is where it all comes alive and you can feel the energy and creativity reaching out to you, inviting you to come and feast your eyes on the mind-boggling variety of crafts that are either works-in-progress or fully polished and completed. 

Want to take home the charming enamel on silver Ganesha which is being given the final stroke of a paintbrush? Unlike other run-of-the-mill museums, you can actually buy whatever catches your fancy and suits your budget. Once COVID-19 is not a threat anymore, come along and spend some time here among the beautifully handcrafted pieces of art and don’t forget to take those stunning pictures for the ‘gram!

Where | National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy - Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan
Timings | 10 AM - 6 PM
Here’s Their Website | http://nationalcraftsmuseum.nic.in/