Folk Arts Museum

Another interesting a unique museum that adds to the character of Mysore city is the Folk Arts Museum. The museum is located in the magnificent Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, which is on the Mysore University campus at Manasagangotri. The Folklore Museum has a remarkable collection of folk culture. The museum has 6500 folk art and folklore articles on display and the museum is celebrated as one of the largest of its kind in Asia. The Folklore museum has one of the most important ethnographic collections of South Indian toys, puppets and household objects. The exhibits include an excellent collection of carved wooden figures from the different villages of Karnataka, rural costumes, utensils, ornaments, metal artifacts, implements and tools used in different rural professions. The museum also houses models of temples, houses decorative masks, and ceremonial headwear and has a section that displays leather shadow puppets. The museum is famous for the two wooden chariots that it has as part of its collection. The museum is close to the Kukkarahalli Lake that is part of the University campus. Many people who have visited the museum feel that a visit to the museum is incomplete without a stroll on the Lake Bund. The Museum is open between 10 am and 5 pm on all days except Sunday.