Vechaar Utensils Museum: The Exhibit Of Utensils in Gujarat
Ahmedabad is Atmaram Tukaram Bhide Of India, it is as old as its zamana. Be it any old architectural sight, culture, or museum the timeline has been preserved for years in Ahmedabad. Whether it is the Calico Museum Of Textiles, Auto World Vintage Car Museum, Kite Museum, or Veechaar Utensils Museum, Ahmedabad has meticulously preserved its cultural heritage and invites the world to experience its rich traditions and history.
It won’t be wrong to say that Ahmedabad is the Museum City of Gujarat. Tourists visiting Ahmedabad should take advantage of the opportunity to visit these preserved heritage sights and museums. One unique museum in Ahmedabad is the Vechaar Utensils Museum, yes, a museum of utensils.
Following are the details of Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmadabad from how to reach Vechaar Utensils Museum to the places to visit near Vechaar Utensils Museum:
About Ahmedabad Vechaar Utensils Museum
A designer from Ahmedabad once visited a factory where some classic vessels with beautiful carvings were being melted in a furnace as scrap, when he inquired why these beautiful vessels were being melted down, he got to know that the brass and the copper fetched after melting offered a good price in the market.
As a designer, his heart was filled with compassion to save those vessels. These are not just vessels but stories of how the ancestors used to cook food and serve their families for many previous centuries that would have been unheard of to future generations.
The designer and the brainchild behind Vechaar Utensils Museum was Mr. Surendra Patel. He went beyond his financial capacity and offered the owner to buy those vessels. For over 40 years Surandra Pan kept buying the vessels and adding to the exhibit of Vechaar Utensils Museum.
History Of Vechaar Utensils Museum
The history of Vechaar Utensils Museum dates back to 27 April 1981 which was founded by Mr. Surendra Patel (Designer) and Jyotindra Jain (Anthropologist). The collection of Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad took around 40 years to build.
Mr. Jain fully supported and guided the cause and eventually helped in setting up the museum itself. His passion for the cause was so deep that his good work did not stop at that; he wrote catalogues for the museum himself.
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Collections At Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad Vechaara Museum has a collection of over 6000 utensils that have been collected for over 60 years. The collection has aboded artefacts made of various metals including brass, copper, bronze, clay, silver, and gold.
Just outside the Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad is a beautiful Shiva temple. The face mask of the Shivaliamgam is around a century old.
Ahmedabad Vechaar Utensils Museum has utensils from as small as one-inch spoon to as large as cooking pans with 6 feet diameter. Apart from several pots, there is a small section of locks of various sizes and shapes, some of them are as old as the millennium.
The collection also includes a grain grinding stone which people use to grind grains to produce flour, and a butter churning machine which two people use to churn butter. Some of the utensils including jugs, plates, and trays are from Uzbekistan. There are various types of pitcher pots on which intrinsic designs are made, coffee filters, and pins.
There is a small section where various kinds of chillam and hookas are kept. There is also an instrument in which opium used to be mixed in olden days. A beautiful prototype of the Taj Mahal made of 75,000 match sticks is also there in the Vechaar Utensils Museum.
The museum also has a vast collection of nutcrackers, a tool used to cut various nuts.You could see the nutcrackers of different sizes and shapes. It includes nutcrackers in the form of birds, animals, angels, etc. They are made with brass, copper, iron, German silver, elephant teeth, etc. Their size ranges from 1 to 18 inches.
There are many swords, kukri, knives, shields used by kings, water guns, stirrups, weighing scales, and containers to store water, grains, and oil. Idols of Maa Laxmi, Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiv, Nataraj, etc. Various types of bells are centuries old and were used in Pooja. Lassi Glasses from Patiala, Punjab mugs, and various other utensils from north India are included in the collection of Ahmedabad Vechaar Utensils Museum. Other kitchen utensils include a juicer, tiffin box, solid turner, slotted turner and the list goes on.
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Vechaar Utensils Museum Timings
Vechaar Utensils Museum timings are from 03:00 pm to 10:30 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. However, the museum has been closed temporarily, it will soon be opened for the people.
Vechaar Utensils Museum Entry Fee
Vechaar Utensils Museum entry fee for adults is Rs. 20/-, Rs. 10/- for children, and Rs. 50/- for foreign tourists. If you are using a camera then the entry fee is Rs. 10/-.
How to Reach Vechaar Utensils Museum
Located in the vicinity of Utensils Vishalla Restaurant the museum is accessible by road and rail. The nearest metro station is APMC.
Via Rail
The nearest railway station to reach the Vichaar Utensils Museum is Ahmedabad Junction which is around 9.5 km from the Museum. If you are coming via the Metro Red Line then the nearest metro station to reach Vechaar Utensils Museum Mumbai is APMC which is at a walkable distance of 750 meters.
Via Air
The nearest airport to reach Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad is Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport which is around 16 km from the museum. You can book a cab or get a bus from there to reach Vechaar Utensils Museum.
Via Road
The roads of Ahmedabad are well connected to the other art of the city. You can reach the museum via cabs or buses.
Utensils Vishalla Restaurant
So the Vechaar Utensils Museum itself is in the restaurant famously known as Utensils Vishalla Restaurant. It is one of the most authentic Gujarati Restaurants with Mud flooring, bamboo walls, wooden tables, leaf plates and bowls, and a knee-support.
The restaurant follows the Ayurvedic system Serving fresh nutritious food and aiding digestion so that nobody goes home feeling excessively full or uneasy from here.
The cuisine includes various Gujarati and Non Gujarati disheshes. Many celebrities have visited Utensils Vishalla Restaurant including Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the list goes on.
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Places To Visit Near Vechaar Utensils Museum
There are many places to visit near Vechaar Utensils Museum when you are visiting Ahmedabad and specifically, if you are coming to Vechaar Utensils Museum then you should not miss these places to visit.
Following are some of the places to visit near Vechaar Utensils Museum
1. Sabarmati Ashram
Sabarmati Ashram is around 11 km from Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad. It is the place where Gandhiji used to stay pre-independence. From Sabarmati Ashram Gandhi announced the historic revolt against the Britishers also known as the Salt March. The goals of Sabarmati ashram are truth and nonviolence.
Gandhi’s followers lead a community life in the Ashram following the principles of seeking truth and non-violence. Gandhiji believed that these were the ultimate weapons to fight for the freedom of the country.
2. Isckon Temple Ahmedabad
ISCKON Temple Ahmedabad is around 6.7 km from Vechaar Utensils Museum Ahmedabad. It is a very suitable spot for meditation, worship, and spirituality. It was inaugurated in the year of 1997 by retired Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The huge halls are brightened with grand-looking chandeliers. The interiors of the temple are pretty immense. The Ahmedabad ISKCON temple also boasts a massive campus, which is full of a huge number of flowering trees and plants.
3. Riverfront Biodiversity Park
Riverfront Biodiversity Park is around 6.1 km from Vechaar Utensil Museum Ahmedabad. Located on the banks of Sabarmati River it is one of a kind. The Riverfront Biodiversity Park hosts many exotic plants and trees.
Riverfront Biodiversity Park has more than 5000 trees and has many endangered species of trees. It is one of the magnificent Riverfront Parks with lush green trees. This park also abodes many migrant and resident species of birds.
4. Sarkhej Roza
Sarkhej Roza is one of the places to visit near Vechaar Utensils Museum. It is around 4.2 km away. The great monument Ahmedabad Sarkhej Roza has a handful of great monuments where you can find a mix of social, royal, and spiritual stuff in the mosque.
It was made at the start of the sultanate period in Gujarat. Where the first thing they took over to build there was a mosque and a tomb to remember Khattu Ganj Baksh which is now known as the Sarkhej Roza mosque in Ahmedabad.
