Indian Museum, Kolkata

Founded in 1814, the Indian Museum is the oldest museum in Asia, in a colonnaded building on Jawaharlal Nehru Road in central Kolkata. The collection covers the Bharhut Buddhist sculptures, Gandharan stone carvings, the Egyptian mummy gallery, fossil and zoology galleries and the largest holdings of Indian coins anywhere in the country. Note: visitor galleries are currently closed for an extended renovation programme — check the official site for current visiting status before planning a trip.