ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM & PORTRAIT GALLERY
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Location : Old Goa, Goa
In Performance : 1964
Maintained By : The Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI)
Exhibits : Gallery Of Portraits Of Portuguese Viceroys, Coins, Domestic Wooden Sculpture, Pre-Portuguese Hindu Sculptures

The museum has been functioning since 1964 in the abandoned convent of St. Francis of Assisi and is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The collection consists of Brahmanical sculptures hero-stones and sati stones of the early and late medieval periods, portraits, coins and currency, revenue and court fee stamps, wooden and bronze sculptures and armoury of the Portuguese period. 

Rejuvenating The Look 
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The Museum was rearranged and reorganised completely in connection with the CHOGM Retreat in Goa during 1982. A long hall lying to the left side of the entrance to the Museum was converted into 2 galleries by laying RCC floor with a newly constructed wide staircase at the extreme west to facilitate access to the first floor. 

The new Annexe building thus provided additional area to the existing Museum and finally the entire first floor re-laid with a teakwood floor resembling the original in order to bring uniform look to the whole complex. 

The 3-6m high bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque greets the visitors at the entrance. In the visitors lobby sea routes of early explorers, map showing site museums in India, map of Goa and a few photographs of monuments of Goa and Daman, and map showing centrally protected monuments in India are on display. 

The Key Gallery
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The key gallery in the ground floor serves as an introduction to the nature of exhibits in the museum. As one enters the key gallery the visitor is introduced to the short history of Goa in the form of an open book placed on a pedestal. The plan of the museum is on the left sidewall. Taking right turn one comes across a wall showcase containing middle and upper Paleolithic stone tools, Microliths and a few Neolithic Celts. A short historical background highlighting the prehistory of Goa and the location of prehistoric sites is shown in the map of Goa. 

The second showcase deals with the early history of Goa. The excavated materials from Chandor, one of the ancient capital cities of goa are displayed in this showcase along with the ground plan of a Brahmanical temple and available early historical antiquities i.e., cast copper coins of 3rd century BC, copper nails, rings, etc. 

The next phases of cultural sequence are shown with the help of available sculptures of the Brahmanical deities and displayed in chronological order with the bust of siva and parvati, followed by the sculptures of the Silaharas and Kadambas of Goa. 

Displaying Some Priceless Possessions
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The important exhibits on display in this Gallery are the standing Lord Vishnu accompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and Garuda on left and right respectively, with exquisite carvings accommodating ten incarnations on the Prabhavali, standing Surya accompanied by Danda and Pingala, Gajalakshmi, Mahishasuramardini and seated Uma-Maheshvara. 

The Stone Figurines & Sculptures
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Other objects on displays are lintel of a temple depicting various types of Shikharas, architectural pieces, sati-stones, hero-stones, an inscribed slab containing Kannada inscription of 'Devaraya', the Vijayanagar king, recording the grant of a Jaina Basti, Arabic and Portuguese inscriptions, wooden statue of John, the Baptist, paintings on wood / canvas of Portuguese Governors Pedro de Castro, Fernando Martings Mascarenhas, nativity of Jesus, Jesus helping St. Joseph, etc. royal coat of arms, Bishop coat of arms on stone, wooden sculptures of infant Jesus, St. Mary sculptured panels representing floral decorations, Goan type basket - full of fruits and the tombstone of D. Diogo de Noronha, the first captain of Daman. 

The hero-stones forming part of this gallery are rather unique in representing naval battles emphasizing the maritime power of the Kadambas. One hero-stone shows a royal personage sitting on a throne in his palace with numerous attendants and his queen. The bottom panel shows him engaged in a ferocious naval battle wherein are shown the ships and the soldiers. 

Besides, a few stone and wooden sculptures of Brahmanical Gods and Goddesses and Christian Saints are also exhibited in a showcase in the centre of the big hall. This showcase also separates material of the early historical phase from the Portuguese period. The eastern half of this showcase is used for displaying Hindu gods and goddesses. The metal bust of Gangadhara (popularly known in Goa as Manguesh) of the 17th - 18th century and a few minor stone sculptures of Khandoba, Kartikeya, hero, Usha or 'Makara', etc., are arranged to highlight the rich heritage of Goa under the Hindu rulers. 

The Portuguese Artifacts
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In the western half are displayed the wood and ivory objects of Christian saints, Jesus Christ, Mary with Jesus' body, Bishops, Mary Immaculate, St. Anthony, St. Anne and Jesus, St. Augustine, Mary and a Kaoline Surahi (wide pot). This art nourished and nurtured under the patronage of the Portuguese rulers of Goa. 

The main attraction in this key gallery is the imposing 3m high bronze statue of Luiz de Camoes the national poet of Portugal. The one-eyed poet holds in his right hand the scrolls of his poem, the LUSIADS, which describes the voyage of Vasco-Da-Gama from Portugal to India and back. This statue originally brought from Portugal to India and back and was originally installed in the centre of the garden in 1960 but was damaged in 1982. 

The Coin & Currency Collection
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In the vertical type coin showcase are exhibited the Portuguese currency and silver /copper/lead/brass coins. Afonso de Albuquerque ordered minting of coins soon after his conquest of Goa in AD 1510. The major denominations include the Portuguese Manoel, Leal and the indigenous Pardav, Tanga, Xerafins, Rupia, etc. 

The most common type of coin is the one with holy cross or king and queen on the obverse along with a circular legend and year and coat of arms on the reverse. The first paper currency was issued sometime in 1882. The currency notes usually show the image of Afonso de Albuquerque on the right side with the legend BANCO NACIONAL ULTRAMARINO and INDIA PORTUGUESA and denominations on obverse and sea motif on the reverse. The denominations are 10, 20, 30, 50, 60, 100, 300, 500, 600 and 1000 Escudos or Rupias. 

In this gallery, wooden sculptures of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier, St. Joseph and other Christian Saints are also on display. A model of the fort of Diu is on view in this gallery. 

In the chapel on the southern wall is a painting depicting Mary descending from the Heaven, accompanied by children and few Saints on the earth. The wooden frame and the borders of this painting were decorated and gilded. 


