Varendra Research Museum, Rajshahi

Varendra Research Museum, Rajshahi is regarded as one of the major attractions in the city that the travelers should never miss to see. The museum came to existence from Varendra Research Society. Varendra Research Museum, Rajshahi displays some of the prominent and noted collections from Indus Valley Civilization. Varendra Research Museum is one of the major tourist attractions in Rajshahi. Tourists from different parts of the country come to visit this attractive museum. The museum is also popular among a number of international tourists.
The museum was the first to be built in East Bengal in 1910. It was built by the zamindars of Rajshahi Saratkumar Ray and two of his close associates Akshay Kumar Maitreya and Ramaprasad Chanda. They had taken the initiatives and spent huge amount of money as well as energy to establish the museum. Saratkumar Ray donated the land on which the museum was constructed.
Varendra Research Museum in Rajshahi showcases some of the rare displays of stone and metal sulptures, epigraphs, coins, pottery and plaques in terracotta. Other displays include various weapons, Arabic and Persian documents, paintings, books and periodicals, Sanskrit and Bangla manuscripts. There are 6 galleries where all the exhibits are placed within the museum. The galleries display:

• Relics of the Indus Valley-Civilization - Gallery 1
• Buddhist and Hindu stone sculptures and modern wood sculptures - Gallery 2
• Images of Surya, Shiva, Ganesha and Visnu - Gallery 3
• Cult icons of the Shaktas of Durga-Gauri-Uma-Parvati, the Matrikas and Chamunda - Gallery 5
• Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit and old Bangla stone inscriptions, sculptured stones of the Muslim period - Gallery 6

The balcony of the museum is decorated with terracotta moulded plaques from Paharpur. Buddhist and Hindu sculptures are engraved on the walls of the bottom row of the balcony. The courtyard surrounding the museum offers excellent views of the Hindu and Muslim buildings, pillars and Shiva Lingas. There is an ancient library placed inside the museum. The visitors can find some rare articles and periodicals from the historical era which are useful for the students and researchers. The Sanskrit manuscripts are some of the most precious and valuable belongings of the museums.