Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis is famously known to have been an applied statistician and scientist and was the founder of the esteemed Indian Statistical Institute, which decided to set up a museum and archive in his memory. An attempt was made to trace the historical documents from the Development Office in Amrapali (originally named by Rabindranath Tagore) which was the personal office and former residence of Professor Mahalanobis. Presently the museum has five galleries, each depicting distinct phases of life and work of Professor Mahalanobis, with the display of 752 exhibits through 91 panels. The study room and the residential portions of Professor and Mrs Nirmal Kumari Mahalanobis as well as the chatal, where he usually received his eminent guests, also formed the part of the museum for their historic value. The museum has in its collection a large number of artifacts related to Professor Mahalanobis, such as his honours and degrees, medals, dresses and some of his personal belongings.
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Overview of inner museum gallery.
The dining table in the residential part of the building which has seated a number of eminent personalities including Jawaharlal Nehru and Tagore, among others.
Model replicas of 19th century backdrop, Ain-i-Akbari and Arthasastra which urged Mahalanobis to take up interest in the field of statistics, having voraciously read them in his younger days.
Mathematical precision calculator used by Professor Mahalanobis.
Professor Mahalanobis's graduation robe.
A genealogical representation of life and works of Professor Mahalanobis.
The Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure invented by Professor Mahalanobis, which was instrumental in formulating India's strategy for industrialization in the Second Five Year Plan (1956-61)
The Mahalanobish plan model and Professor's contribution to the same, being a member of the Planning Commission: while the First Plan laid emphasis on agriculture, Mahalanobis suggested that emphasis should now be laid on the development of basic and heavy industries in the Public sector.