Lucknow: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is known for its academia, but it also has a rich history and is well known for its charming museums. Of these, Musa Dakri Museum stands out with its huge range of historical artifacts, including a wooden ship and a 2,000-year-old statue of Gautam Buddha that draws tourists from across the globe.
Founded by the thinker behind Aligarh Muslim University, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, this museum showcases a wide range of objects, including inscriptions, stupas, pottery that is almost a few centuries old, and toys that are centuries old. Providing a rare glimpse of Indian cultural heritage
Among the prominent treasures of the museum is a broken statue of Gautama Buddha in a seated position dating back to the 1st-2nd century AD. Besides, it is home to relics that date back to the Mahabharata era along with prehistoric dinosaur remains. Also unique are the 11th-12th century statue of Surya, the sun god, and life-size Buddha statues, along with fragmented figures of elephants and Lakshmi dated to the 9th-10th centuries. The wooden ship is a donation by Brigadier Syed Ahmed Ali to the museum.
Abdul Rahim, Chairman, Department of Museology, Aligarh Muslim University, said the collection made by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was of immense value. Rare pottery and toys uncovered through excavations led by the AMU’s Department of Archaeology, in Jakhera and Atranjikhera, in the Etah district, are to be stored in the museum, he adds.
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