Also Known As · NGMA · Rashtriya Adhunik Kala Dirgha
New Delhi, Delhi · museum
India's premier modern-art collection — Ravi Varma to Amrita Sher-Gil — inside a domed, butterfly-shaped Lutyens palace beside India Gate.
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is India's foremost museum of modern and contemporary art — a flagship national collection housed in Jaipur House, a butterfly-shaped Lutyens-era palace crowned by a central dome, set in the Central Hexagon that rings India Gate at the eastern end of Kartavya Path. Established in 1954 and backed by Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, it has grown into one of the largest modern-art museums in the world, with more than 17,000 works by over 2,000 artists, some dating back to around 1857.
Pure-vegetarian North Indian dal makhani, paneer and breads
Vegetarian Pan-Asian dishes
Vegetarian café fare among the bookshelves
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is India's foremost museum of modern and contemporary art — a flagship national collection housed in Jaipur House, a butterfly-shaped Lutyens-era palace crowned by a central dome, set in the Central Hexagon that rings India Gate at the eastern end of Kartavya Path.
the gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM, and closed on Mondays and national holidays; tickets are inexpensive for Indians, more for foreign nationals, and free for those under 18. Photography inside the galleries is generally restricted, and bags may need to go to the cloakroom. Allow two to three hours, and pair it easily with a walk on the India Gate lawns just outside.
Visiting Hours
Entry Fee: Approx ₹20 Indian nationals · ₹500 foreign nationals · free for those under 18. Verify at the counter.
Verified: July 2026
Address
Jaipur House, Sher Shah Road, near India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi, 110003
On the Central Hexagon around India Gate, east end of Kartavya Path
🚇 Nearest Metro: Central Secretariat (Yellow & Violet) and Khan Market (Violet) — each ~1.5–2 km
🚶 Walking from Metro: Best reached by a short auto or cab ride from Central Secretariat or Khan Market metro; it is walkable from the India Gate lawns.
Distance from
Parking
on-site · ₹20–₹50 (paid)
Limited on-site and street parking around the Central Hexagon.
🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Uber and Ola drop at Jaipur House on the India Gate hexagon; it is a short ride from Khan Market or Central Secretariat metro.
How to Reach: NGMA is in Jaipur House, on the Central Hexagon around India Gate, at the eastern end of Kartavya Path. Nearest metro: Central Secretariat (Yellow & Violet Lines) and Khan Market (Violet Line), each about 1.5–2 km, then a short auto or cab ride.
History
The National Gallery of Modern Art was established on 29 March 1954 by the Government of India and inaugurated by Vice President Dr S.
🏛️ Architect: Housed in Jaipur House, a butterfly-shaped, domed Lutyens-era palace designed by Arthur Blomfield (with Francis Blomfield), commissioned in 1936, in the Central Hexagon around India Gate. The Delhi branch offers roughly 12,000 square metres of exhibition space.
Significance
NGMA Delhi is India's foremost repository of modern and contemporary Indian art — holding landmark works from Raja Ravi Varma and the Tagores to Amrita Sher-Gil — and a flagship cultural institution that helped shape a post-Independence national artistic identity.
Family Highlights
💰 Equipment Fees: Gallery photography generally restricted; the exterior of Jaipur House may be photographed.
📍 The Golden Spot: The domed, butterfly-shaped Jaipur House façade from the Central Hexagon.
🌅 Best Light Time: Late morning; the building exterior glows at golden hour.
🌅 Secret View: The Amrita Sher-Gil galleries hold one of the largest collections of her work anywhere — a highlight many rush past.
🎯 Crowd Hack: Weekday late mornings are the calmest; weekends and holidays are busier.
💎 Secret Fact: NGMA occupies Jaipur House, a 1936 butterfly-shaped Lutyens-era palace once home to the Maharaja of Jaipur, with around 12,000 square metres of gallery space.
⚡ Express Tour
75 minutes — the Ravi Varma, Bengal School and Amrita Sher-Gil galleries.
🔭 Deep Dive Tour
Half day — the full collection, then the India Gate lawns and a Khan Market lunch.
👕 Dress Code: No dress code; comfortable clothing for a few hours indoors.
📷 Photography Rules: Photography inside the galleries is generally restricted or prohibited; check the current rules at the entrance.
🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs around Khan Market and the India Gate area (within 1.5 km).
The National Gallery of Modern Art is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM and is closed on Mondays and national holidays.
About ₹20 for Indian nationals and ₹500 for foreign nationals, with free entry for those under 18. Fees are periodically revised, so verify at the counter.
Central Secretariat (Yellow and Violet Lines) and Khan Market (Violet Line) are each about 1.5–2 km away; take a short auto or cab from there.
More than 17,000 works of modern and contemporary Indian art, including Raja Ravi Varma, the Tagores, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy and one of the largest collections of Amrita Sher-Gil anywhere.
Yes — it occupies Jaipur House, a butterfly-shaped, domed Lutyens-era palace completed in 1936 as the Delhi residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur.
Khan Market and Pandara Road nearby have excellent options — the pure-veg Veg Gulati, the vegetarian Green Mantis and the book-lined Cafe Turtle are all a short ride away.
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