Sindhology Museum — Attraction in Kotri Taluka

The Institute of Sindhology has been recognized within the country as well as abroad as a cultural repository of its own kind. An “Anthropological Research Center and Sindh Arts Gallery” (Museum) has been established in this Institute for the exhibition of objects, setting-up dioramas of various ethnic groups of Sindh and corners of prominent personalities of Sindh.

The collection of representative artifacts began in early 1970’s. The masterpieces representing archaeological material, wood-work, thread-work, metal-work, leather-work, pottery, Jewelry, Coins, Arms, Photographs, and paintings have been collected. The wide variety of collection in the Museum has been displayed in different galleries. So far the following galleries have been organized:

Archaeological Gallery, Ethnological Gallery-I, Ethnological Gallery-II, Prominent Personalities Gallery, General Gallery, Coins Gallery, Benazir Bhutto Gallery, Dr. N.A Baloch Corner, Arms Gallery with Mir Talpur’s Court, Photographic Gallery, Indus Painting Gallery, Ethno-musical Gallery.

The prime purpose of the Anthropological Research Center (Museum) is to collect and organize material for the intensive and exhaustive study relating to past civilization of the lower Indus Valley and the present Sindh. To meet this requirement a comprehensive documentation work has been started for the benefit of research scholars. Magnificent collection of artifacts and relics of past provides an opportunity to common folks to appreciate the achievements of the art, craft and architect of ancient Sindh and its people. As such Anthropological Research Center (Museum) is a center of great attraction for scholars as well as for ordinary folks at the University of Sindh campus. It draws crowds on its own every day, who admire and appreciate the fine work done in regard to conceiving the idea of collecting, preserving and displaying cultural heritage of the people of Sindh. This place is considered unique by all the visitors from all over Pakistan as well as abroad.

The prominent Personalities Gallery deserves special mention at this stage. This particular gallery contains portraits with short captions of more than 175 eminent writers, scholars, educationists, social workers, Philanthropists, politicians, lawyers, freedom fighters, spiritual leaders and public figures like Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and Governors. This gallery also houses special corners of very important personalities such as Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah; Allama I.I. Kazi, a great philosopher, Ex-Vice-Chancellor and founder of the University of Sindh, Jamshoro Campus; Hassan Ali Affendi, founder of Sindh Madersatul Islam Karachi, Pir Hussamuddin Rashdi, a renowned scholar and historian of Sindh; Syed Gulam Mustafa Shah, writer and Ex-Vice chancellor of Sindh University, Mr. Muhammad Usman Diplai,a great writer and reformist; and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan.

A special mention may also be made of the harmonium on which Mr. Ahmed Ali G. Chagla, a renowned musician of Pakistan, composed the National Anthem of Pakistan; the first Sindhi Typewriter, the Monarch, manufactured in 1926 at New York, USA; statue of an eminent Philanthropist Rai Bahadur Odhoudas Chhabria, founder of Odhoudas Hospital of Shikarpur are also housed in this gallery.

The work of collection, preservation and conservation of anthropological, historical and cultural objects and specimen is ongoing process. Field surveys are being conducted visiting villages and far-flung areas of Sindh to procure old and rare articles and to prepare documentary films, depicting various aspects of life and...

The Institute of Sindhology has been recognized within the country as well as abroad as a cultural repository of its own kind. An “Anthropological Research Center and Sindh Arts Gallery” (Museum) has been established in this Institute for the exhibition of objects, setting-up dioramas of various ethnic groups of Sindh and corners of prominent personalities of Sindh. The collection of representative artifacts began in early 1970’s. The masterpieces representing archaeological material, wood-work, thread-work, metal-work, leather-work, pottery, Jewelry, Coins, Arms, Photographs, and paintings have been collected. The wide variety of collection in the Museum has been displayed in different galleries. So far the following galleries have been organized: Archaeological Gallery, Ethnological Gallery-I, Ethnological Gallery-II, Prominent Personalities Gallery, General Gallery, Coins Gallery, Benazir Bhutto Gallery, Dr. N.A Baloch Corner, Arms Gallery with Mir talpur ‘ s Court, Photographic Gallery, Indus Painting Gallery , Ethno-musical Gallery. The prime purpose of the Anthropological Research Center (Museum) is to collect and organize material for the intensive and exhaustive study relating to past civilization of the lower Indus Valley and the present Sindh. To meet this requirement a comprehensive documentation work has been started for the benefit of research scholars. Magnificent collection of artifacts and relics of past provides an opportunity to common folks to appreciate the achievements of the art, craft and architect of ancient Sindh and its people. As such  Anthropological Research Center (Museum) is a center of great attraction for scholars as well as for ordinary folks at the University of Sindh campus. It draws crowds on its own every day, who admire and appreciate the fine work done in regard to conceiving the idea of collecting, preserving and displaying cultural heritage of the people of Sindh. This place is considered unique by all the visitors from all over Pakistan as well as abroad. The prominent Personalities Gallery deserves special mention at this stage. This particular gallery contains portraits with short captions of more than 175 eminent writers, scholars, educationists, social workers, Philanthropists, politicians, lawyers, freedom fighters, spiritual leaders and public figures like Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and Governors. This gallery also houses special corners of very important personalities such as Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah; Allama I.I. Kazi, a great philosopher, Ex-Vice-Chancellor and founder of the University of Sindh, Jamshoro Campus; Hassan Ali Affendi, founder of Sindh Madersatul Islam Karachi, Pir Hussamuddin Rashdi, a renowned scholar and historian of Sindh;Syed Gulam Mustafa Shah,writer and Ex-Vice chancellor of Sindh University,Mr.Muhammad Usman Diplai,a great writer and reformist; and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan. A special mention may also be made of the harmonium on which Mr. Ahmed Ali G. Chagla, a renowned musician of Pakistan, composed the National Anthem of Pakistan; the first Sindhi Typewriter, the Monarch, manufactured in 1926 at New York, USA; statue of an eminent Philanthropist Rai Bahadur Odhoudas Chhabria, founder of Odhoudas Hospital of Shikarpur are also housed in this gallery. The work of collection, preservation and conservation of anthropological, historical and cultural objects and specimen is on going process. Field surveys are being conducted visiting villages and far-flung areas of Sindh to procure old and rare articles and to prepare documentary films, depicting various aspects of life and...

The history of the institute goes back to the establishment of the Sindhi Academy in 1962 by the University of Sindh.[1] This was during the period of the One Unit Scheme which saw the Sindhi language displaced by Urdu in official discourse, with a consequent revitalisation of Sindhi nationalism. The desire to promote a cohesive Sindhi identity, in opposition to the monolithic West Pakistan province, spread through a student and academic population which had significantly increased in number and it led to several defining events at the University of Sindh. As a part of a socio-political movement there was a desire to research, preserve, promote and create Sindhi culture in language, literature, film and art. Much of this was underpinned by the myth of origin, propagated by researchers, that there was a recognisable and continuous Sindhi culture stretching over 5000 years from Mohenjo-Daro. The myth included that the Sindhi language was the progenitor of Sanskrit; Sindhi researchers routinely based the starting point of their work on the Indus Valley Civilisation.

In 1964, the name of the Sindhi Academy was changed to the Institute of Sindhology, probably to give the research subject a gloss that accorded it academic status similar to those of Egyptology or at least Indology.

The institute was provided with a small room at the old campus of Sindh University in Hyderabad. On 10 December 1972 the foundation stone of the new building was laid just off the Super Highway in Jamshoro, adjacent to Indus river. The three-storey building, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Hyderabad, was inaugurated in 1978. The construction is an amalgamation of the Islamic and Buddhist architectures. Internally, the building is decorated with local Hala tile-work, with two arms accommodating the Research Library and Administration Block. The central dome houses the Anthropological Research Centre (Museum), art gallery, film and photographic sections and audio-visual section.

In 1987, an extension was built in celebration of the institute's Silver Jubilee to house the bookshop facilities.In 2015, an international children’s films festival was held in Sindhology.

It was decided in 2002 to change the aims of the institute such that its main focus was on publishing.[A news report in 2015 suggested numerous significant issues regarding the governance, purpose and actions of...