Archaeological Museum, Aihole - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 200 m from the Aihole Bus Stand, the Archaeological Museum is a museum situated inside the Durga Temple complex, Aihole. It is one of the popular places to visit as part of Aihole tour packages.

Planned as a sculpture shed in 1970, the Archaeological Museum in Aihole was converted into a full-blown museum in 1987. The museum houses a good collection of artifacts from the Aihole, Pattadakal, and Badami regions. It is one of the must visit Aihole tourist places.

The museum consists of 6 galleries and an open-air gallery. The artifacts in the museum are dated between the 6th and 15th centuries. A variety of Ganesha sculptures, Saptamatrikas with archaic features, Nataraja, Ambika of Jaina affinity, an attractive sculpture of Bodhisatva, and a mutilated anthropomorphic figure of Megalithic period are some of the important exhibits.

One of the galleries accommodates a bird's eye view model of Aihole and its environs (Malaprabha valley) with the location of various monuments. The exhibits comprise sculptures of Saiva, Vaishnava, Jaina, and Buddhist affinity. The objects displayed reflect the Chalukyan style of art and architecture besides socio-religious and cultural aspects of the early medieval period.

Complex Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM. Closed on Friday.

Entry: Rs. 5 for Person, Rs. 25 for Camera