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Situated in the premises of the Siddhagiri Math, near Kolhapur on the Bangalore-Pune highway, is the unique Siddhagiri Museum, which is spread across 7 acres of land and is home to around 80 odd main scenes and 300 wax statues which depict a self-sufficient Indian village during the pre-Mughal era.
The statues are very delicately carved with exquisite detailing given to each one of them and is a must visit for its artistic wonder and for the message which it gives, which is to return to nature and restore the balance of our lives along with the environment.
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Setup in a very peaceful surrounding, which is filled with a large variety of flora and fauna, the place truly urges to follow simple living. One would comes across the benefits of living in an unspoilt and clean atmosphere, which establishes a bond between the people of a hamlet, who live together in a single large family sharing all their joys and sorrows together as one.
Rural India, at present is considered as one of the most backward areas of the country. But the villages in the country at one point of time were not like what we see today. They were self-sufficient and were the main source of inspiration for the path towards modern civilization. However, times have changed and the generations are not very aware of the greatness of the villages as they have no exposure to it.
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Siddhagiri Museum aims to throw light upon the way of life in a village, its evolution and the importance of learning from the past. The beautifully constructed statues throw light on this forgotten way of living and is a major crowd puller in the premises of the math and sees a huge crowd on an everyday basis. The museum was inaugurated in the year 2006 and showcases not only the village life, but also an ancient society and different festivals of the country.
The artistic and aesthetic formation of the place makes the scenes come to life with its realistic appearances and the minute attention given to its detailing. How homes and workplaces must have looked during that point of time is a visual delight for the visitors here. A visit here would take you back in time where one would experience a simple, healthy, uncomplicated and close to nature lifestyle of a village life which existed in the country for several centuries.
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How To Reach
By Air: The nearest airport is the Belgaum Airport which is located at a distance of 111 km from here. The airport has flights connecting to major airports around the country, such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, etc. You can hire a taxi from the airport which would take you to the math and the famous Lakshmi Temple in Kolhapur.
By Train: The nearest railhead is the Shree Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus, Kolhapur, which is located at a distance of 14 km from here. The station is well connected to major towns and cities across the state of Maharashtra as well as to cities, such as Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, etc.
By Road: One of the best ways to reach the place is by road as it is located on the Pune-Bangalore Highway. The place has quite a number buses which commute regularly from the main town of Kolhapur to a number of nearby towns.
