Archaeological Museum Old Goa

Archaeological Museum is one of the most significant site museum of Archaeological Survey of India which has been functioning since 1964,in the abandoned convent of St Francis Assisi. Old Goa also Known as Velha Goa

The collection of the museum consists of Brahmanical sculptures,Hero Stones and Sati stones of the early and late medieval periods, Portraits of Governors and Viceroys, Coins and Currency ,Stamps, Wooden and Bronze sculptures and Armory of the Portuguese period.Other exhibits on display are photograph of an old drawing of the city of Old Goa during 1509,Few photographs of centrally protected monuments of Goa.

Another Important exhibits on display in the gallery are the standing Vishnu accompanied by Lakshmi and Garuda on left and right respectively,ten incarnation of Vishnu's Dasavatara, Uma-Mahesvara of the Chalukyan period,Gajalakshmi, seated Uma-Mahesvara (headless) and standing Surya accompanied by Danda and Pingala

Other objects on display are Pranala with cow and calf,Sati-stones, an inscribed slab containing Kannada inscription of Devaraya,the Vijayanagara king,recording the grant of a Jain Basti,Persian inscription and a sculpture of Hanuman.

The Hero-stones forming part of the exibits are rather unique in representing naval battles that emphasized the maritime power of the Kadambas. One hero-stone shows a royal personage sitting on a throne in his palace with numerous attendants and his queen.The bottom panrl shows him engaged in fierce naval battle wherein are shown the ships and the soldiers.

The main attraction in the gallery is the 3m high bronze statue of Luiz de Camoes (1524 -1580)the national poet of Portugal.The one eyed poet holds the scroll od his Poem, Os Lusiadas, which describes the voyage of Vasco da Gama from Protugal to India and back.This statue was orginally installed in the centre of the garden in 1960.


As one proceeds to the first floor galleries,on display is a short history of portrait paintings of the governors and viceroys of Goa.These portraits are painted either on wooden planks or on canvas in oil colours ,the paintings were shifted from the Secretariat in Panaji to the Museum in 1962.

The next major exibit is the postal,revenue and court fee stamps ,Currency used in Goa there is very good collection of paper currency

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