Stones Rock! The amazing world of Sinnar’s Gargoti Museum

On my previous visit to Nashik, I was told about the mineral museum at Sinnar, an extended suburb, some 30 kms away on the Pune Highway. Short on time, i thought what would be of such great interest to go and see some stones and mineral pieces? Instead, the vineyards of Nashik beckoned me for a wine tour.

Six months later, while returning from a family trip to Shirdi, we came across Sinnar, and suddenly the thought of visiting the Minerals Museum crossed my mind. We drove up the MIDC industrial area, and after several twists and turns, we reached a smart looking building, which read the ‘Gargoti Museum’.

‘Gargoti’ means flintstone in Marathi, but you expect to see a dazzling display of precious and semi-precious stones, crystals and zeolites from around the world. Ruby, emerald, topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, amethyst… you name them, you have them displayed at the Gargoti Museum.

Nature seems to have found a perfect way of hiding its underlying beauty inside the largely unattractive basalt rocks, found almost everywhere in the rocky Deccan plateau. That the museum recognizes the supremacy of nature is evident from the beautiful 13 feet tall statue of Mother India at the main entrance. 80 per cent of the collections in the museum are from Maharasthra, while rest are from neighbouring states, other parts of India, and other continents as well. Two of the collections are from even farther – from the Moon and the Mars, courtesy NASA.

Though the museum has a collection of all kinds of precious stones, the focus is on display of zeolites, with appropriate classification. Zeolites are ethereal creations of breathtaking colour and fragile structure. They are often formed when volcanic rock of specific chemical composition is immersed in water so as to leach away some of the components. Some of the zeolites are more precious than diamonds.

The Deccan Traps are one of the largest volcanic provinces in the world. It is also an authentic fact that zeolites found in Deccan traps are of superior quality than any other part of the world. Jalgaon in North Maharashtra is one such place from where high quality zeolites are procured. These minerals are obtained by a process of controlled dynamite blasting, held under expert supervision. The procured minerals are then cut, chiseled and washed by trained craftsmen before being put on display.

The Gargoti museum has been divided into two galleries. The Deccan Plateau, showing the best Zeolites found within India and The Prestige Gallery displaying the best national as well as international collections. Each display has a detailed footnote explaining its origin and significance, thus making Gargoti Museum an ideal destination for educational tours and field trips. The collection in the museum is of such high standard that some of its exhibits have even been displayed in world’s prestigious museums like Smithsonian Museum, the British Museum and the Carnegie Museum, among others.

The Deccan Plateau section on the ground floor has more than 1700 exhibits of rare specimens and intricate zeolites. Two full shelves have been dedicated for display of colourful calcite and cavancite minerals from the Deccan. Another cabinet displays a collection about a dozen dinosaur fossils. Within the Prestige Gallery on the first floor is the Parliament House, a semi-circular structure, which gives us an overview of the world of minerals. Not to miss on this floor is the naturally formed map of India in a stone. The most prized piece in Gargoti is a rock of apophyllite, stilbite and calcite measuring 2.2 x 2 feet and worth about $100,000. The entire collection in the museum is valued at over Rs 30 crores, but the owner insists, and rightly so, that the collection is priceless.

Gargoti Museum is the result of vision and hardwork of one man whose passion for minerals and crystals has taken him on a journey collecting stones and rocks from across the world. It honours 27 years of patience and consistency of K C Pandey – a passionate mineral collector and an enthusiast in his goal. A former Indian Navy engineer, Pandey is committed to work for preservation, collection and create awareness about India’s mineral heritage. His love and dedication for the subject found its bearing when he created "Gargoti", India’s only museum of its kind, on the Akshay Tritiya day of April 26, 2001.

K C Pandey’s obsession with zeolites began when he was 16, when his brother showed him the milky white apophyllite and orange stilbite minerals that were fused together. Enthused, he began hunting for zeolites around Mumbai and other places. In 1994, he participated in the Gems, Mineral and Fossil show in Tucson, Arizona, the world's largest fair of its kind. With his diverse collection, Pandey made an impact at the show. The visit was a turning point in the life of Pandey. He opted for an early retirement from his service with Indian Navy and concentrated on trading his collection in the international market.Few years later, Pandey initiated plans to set up a museum exclusively meant for zeolites. He chose to build it in Nashik, as the city formed part of the Deccan Trap

The Gargoti Museum is open 24 x 7, 365 days a year. However, you will need a prior appointment to visit between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The Museum staff is cordial and knowledgeable and are always ready to explain a thing or two about the objects on display. They charge an entrance fee of Rs 100 for an individual and Rs 50 per head for a group of three or more. The admission fee, though steep compared to other museums, is worth its while considering the immaculate maintenance of the property. Within the museum, there is also a small shop, that sells precious and semi-precious stones, bracelets, necklaces, pendents, Gem trees etc.

After spending nearly 2 hours at the museum and seeing such a marvelous display of minerals and stones, one wonders why the museum has been named – Gargoti, a mere flintstone! K C Pandey says “it is actually a subtle way of saying that every pebble has the potential of great beauty - that many zeolites are found only when rocks are split open.” / Manish Desai