If you are fond of history and find ancient artefacts, crystals, and stones interesting, Gargoti Museum is the ultimate pick for you. In Asia’s biggest natural history museum, you can watch iconic masterpieces in the ancient world. It will be a great chance to revisit the golden period of history with a quick time travel.
In the blog ahead, we will throw some light on this majestic Gargoti Museum and share key highlights of places to enjoy in your travels.
History of Gargoti Museum
India’s first and the world’s biggest private mineral and gem museum, Gargoti Museum, is an iconic masterpiece to visit. It is located in Sinnar, a town near Nashik, in the state of Maharashtra. This historical museum was inaugurated on 26th April 2001 by the famous Indian politician Shri Balasaheb Thackeray. The museum house has a wide collection of natural minerals and gemstone specimens, which Mr. Krishna Chandra Pandey gathered over 40 years ago. He worked as an aeronautical engineer in the Indian Navy, and during his posting in Maharashtra, he began collecting gems. His vision is to educate young people about the history facts.
“Maharashtra is famous worldwide for minerals. I used to spend my holiday searching for them” – Mr Krishna Chandra Pandey
Moving to the name Gargoti, it is known as pebbles in Marathi; it is a reference for zeolites exhibited here that are termed boil stones. The museum is spread over an area of 13,000 square feet in a single-floored building designed in the best contemporary style. It took 6 long years to build this masterpiece museum. To showcase India’s empowerment, the museum has a sculptor of “Bharat Mata or Mother India” to welcome you to the world of minerals.
Basic Details About Museum
| Established | 2001 |
| Address | D-59, MIDC, MIDC Area, Malegaon, Maharashtra – 422113 |
| Contact Details | 098906 55592 |
| Visiting Time | Monday to Friday (10 AM to 6 PM) Saturday & Sunday (10 AM to 6 PM) [Museum remains closed on public holidays] |
| Entry Fees (INR) | Adults (Foreign) 200/- & Adults (Indian) 100/- |
| Duration | 1-2 Hours |
| Photography & Video | Allowed in some areas |
Framework of Gargoti Museum
The astonishing architecture of the Gargoti Museum comprises two main sections. The Deccan Plateau Gallery exhibits rare and precious Decan’s zeolites and minerals on the ground floor. It is considered the richest depository in the world. Next, on the first floor, you will get The Prestige Gallery, which exhibits the world’s best and oldest Gargoti stone and minerals; some of them are even 60 million years old.
The Deccan Plateau Gallery
This section opens you with the premium collection of Zeolite crystals & minerals that Mr Krishna Chandra Pandey gathers. These masterpieces were evacuated from the Deccan region of Maharashtra and its surrounding states. It is a beautiful architecture featuring ancient Shells, fossils, extinct dinosaurs & Mammoth, a fluorescent mineral display, and statues.
The Prestige Gallery
Here, the world’s best form of Rockstone and gems are displayed in organised chambers. You will get to witness the rarest finds around the world. The gallery has the finest collection of gems, stones, rare metals, moon rocks, and other Indian zeolite minerals. The architecture has a reference design of the Indian parliament to give a royal look to the Gargoti Museum.
India’s famous Gargoti Museum is the only destination that projects different shapes, colours, and quality stones. Also, you will find rare pieces of green cubical apophyllite, cut stones, blue-green aquamarines, diamonds, cavansite, yellow calcites, and a few rare foreign minerals.
Souvenir Shops
The experience does not end with witnessing arts and stones; a big area on the ground floor lets visitors buy a few rare Gargoti stones. You can buy handicrafts, stone necklaces, small statues, and crystals at affordable prices.
Main Attractions of Gargoti Museum
As the main attraction of Gargoti Museum, you can explore these exhibitions that represent different parts of India.
- Apophyllite from Ahmednagar
- Cavansite from Pune
- Sapphire from Sri Lanka
- Native gold from California, USA
- Amethyst geodes from Brazil
- Moon and Mars rocks, dinosaur fossils from Gujarat, and Titanic coal
- Ground Floor Souvenir Shops for jewellery, cut stones, gem trees, japa malas, onyx soft stone handicrafts, etc.
Awards & Recognition
Gargoti Museum and its originator, Mr Krishna Chandra Pandey, have got the best recognition for creating such a precious accumulation of rare minerals.
- Pride of India
- Saraswati Puruskar
- Sinnar Gaurav
- Best Museum Award
Altogether, the efforts of Mr. Krishna Chandra Pandey made the museum famous worldwide and a recognised place in Nashik. It is situated 32 Km away from the main town of Nashik and supports their economy as well.
Head to Explore Gargoti Museum!
As we have already had a glimpse of the Gargoti Museum, you can plan to visit this mesmerizing place in Nashik. The management team is planning to expand the location base to another part of India. The vision of Mr Krishna Chandra Pandey is commendable, and it makes everyone aware of minerals and their rare history.
You can follow TourtoReview to get more fascinating details on the world’s museums!