Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments
Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments Davanagere : Tulabhavan, a unique museum dedicated to weights and measuring instruments, was established in Davanagere in 2015 at a cost of over Rs 45 lakh. Its founder, Basavaraj Yalamalli,65, a businessman, has amassed a collection of more than 5,300 ancient and modern weighing and measuring devices from across the world. The museum houses several rare artefacts, including instruments that are over 700 years old and were used during different dynasties. Yalamalli has now been invited by the University of Oxford to visit the United Kingdom from Sept 11 to 26 to participate in research, project meetings and knowledge exchange activities. The museum is dedicated exclusively to weights, measures and related equipment, reflecting everyday life across different eras. ” Yalamalli won a bronze medal at the National Philatelic Exhibition organised by the department of posts in 2008. He also authored ‘Itihas Mathu Parampare of Weighing and Measuring Articles’, the first Indian catalogue on weighing and measuring instruments, published in Kannada in 2010. In 2023, he prepared an educational chart titled ‘Karunada Arasottegegalu’, documenting the history of 130 kingdoms that ruled Karnataka between 207 BCE and CE 1947.
Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news.
In a communication, Silke Ackermann, director of the History of Science Museum at the University of Oxford, said the project, titled ‘Colonial Standards: Using Scientific Instrument Collections in India and the UK to Investigate Mechanisms of Control’, is led by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the French Institute of Puducherry. Yalamalli is participating as a private collector and curator of the Tula Bhavan Weights and Measures Museum, and his nationally recognised collections are being digitised as part of the Colonial Standards Project,” she said. “My family has been involved in the weights and measures business for over six decades, and I used part of my income to develop Tula Bhavan,” Yalamalli said.
“The project examines the histories and legacies of measurement and standardisation through scientific instruments, museum collections, archival sources and community-based research in India and the UK. Yalamalli travelled extensively across India and abroad, including visiting scrap markets and antique dealers, to collect the exhibits displayed in the museum. Tulabhavan, the first museum of its kind in India, and is listed in the Limca Book of Records. “The collection includes weights used by the postal department, markets, jewellers, meat vendors, vegetable sellers and grain traders. Collecting stamps and coins remains another one of his hobbies. Though he studied only up to Class X, his passion for history and heritage has earned him national recognition and several accolades. Download the TOI App.
