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.
