Phule museum: natural history delight

PUNE: In this television and Internet-driven age, children are rarely interested in visiting museums, but if parents want to provide them with knowledge not found in school textbooks, such visits are essential.
The Mahatma Phule Vastu Sanghralaya, on Ghole road, is one such must-see. The 130-yearold museum, founded in 1875 as the Poona Industrial museum and later named the Lord Reay museum, has an interesting range of collections.The place was renamed again in 1968 and called the Mahatma Phule Vastu Sanghralaya, and converted into a multi-purpose museum.
Of special interest to children are the sections which offer a fine blend of knowledge and fun through pictures, charts, models and machines. Even complicated science subjects are tackled with skill and are easily understood through models.
As one enters the museum, past the 1959-built howitzer, one is transported back in time. The solid stone structure of the building too lends an air of history.
"The museum is an educational institution for the general public. Its aim is to illustrate the origin, development and modern practice of each branch of science and its application to industry, agriculture and commerce," said Rajeev Vilekar, administrator of the museum.
The various sections display collections related to industries and engineering, geology and minerals, handicrafts and cottage industries, agriculture, forestry, natural history and armoury. The most interesting section for children is the natural history section where African lions, cheetahs, seals and other animals are preserved for posterity.
This taxidermy collection of animals, birds, insects and snakes is a delight to see. There are owls, weaver birds, red-vented bulbuls and some 50 species of insects, fish and snakes of every description.
The person behind this careful preservation and innovation was Bhaskar Gharpure, who was associated with the museum for a long time.
"Gharpure was curator at the museum from 1930-1954. His contributions to the museum have been immense," says Vilekar.
"One of the halls here has his name in his honour," he adds. The armoury section of the museum is another attraction with its assembly of swords, 18thcentury guns and arrows and shields of the Moghul and Maratha soldiers. Pune’s forts get mention at the museum too. There are a number of charts which detail the various forts in the district. It is from such charts that interest in the region and its past is inculcated in the city’s youngsters.
Moving on to more industrial concerns, there are models of hydro- electric projects, irrigation methods in India and oil-refining methods, which explain, in simple detail, the application of science and agriculture.
The place also has a large library housing books a hundred years old or more. These great volumes cover a variety of subjects, particularly ancient technologies and museology, and are kept for reference purposes.
"We publish a science monthly called Srishtidnyan, which gives information about scientific changes and developments," says Vilekar. "Generally speaking, only academicians and experts understand these developments, but we present it in simple language to be easily understood by the layman."
These magazines are available at the museum library. So, the next time you head towards Ghole road, make sure you make it an outing and take your children with you. The museum is open from 8 am to 5.30 pm and there is an entrance fee of Rs 5 for adults and Rs 2 for children.