Inside The Heritage Transport Museum In Gurugram, Where The Wheels Of Time Stand Still

As soon as I entered the premises of the Heritage Transport Museum, I was graciously assailed by the founder, Tarun Thakral—a hotelier and avid collector. Not only was he in a cheerful summer shirt, upon which were printed a cluster of cars, his little lampshade moustache, reminiscent of the 20th century, bristling under his notably sculpted nose, instantly conveyed his love for vintage, leaving behind a waft of what was in store. Inside, from the reception counter to benches, tables and chairs, all were indiscriminately repurposed out of various parts of a vehicle. I wondered if asking for directions might land me a steering wheel instead of a map—after all, in a place like this, even a chai cup could’ve once been a carburettor! Shakespeare correctly said, nevertheless, When in Rome… So I must say, a museum is but a rear view of history; its artefacts, the steering wheel of time. In this particular museum, ensconced in solitary at the edge of Gurugram, everything starts from a wheel, just as it does with civilisation.Origin Story What started as one man's passion for automobiles ended up in a heritage museum. Thakral has long been an independent collector of anything that goes on wheels. "It is India’s only organic automobile museum," he’d say with an exalted yet adolescent pride. Technically, however, he traces it back to 1994 when he started collecting vintage cars. As his personal collection grew overtime, enough to sustain an enthusiast's zeal for a considerable amount of time, Thakral went to the government. He was allocated a sum of six crores, out of which came the museum. The Heritage Transport Museum is officially registered under the Heritage Transportation Trust, a registered non-profit organisation. Following years of dexterous planning and curation, the museum opened its doors to the public in 2013. Its collection is befuddling, ranging from pre-mechanised transport like palanquins and bullock carts to modern automobiles, railways, aviation, and maritime exhibits.Flow of the MuseumDistributed along the various floors of a single building—which is thoroughly accessible and inclusive—multi-purpose spaces like a reference library, an auditorium for lectures and screenings, a souvenir shop filled with quirky memorabilia, and a café to unwind, there's a lot to see. The artefacts, which are over 5,000 in number, begin to confuse you. At one point, one begins to wonder whether Thakral hatches a weakness not just for automobiles, but also for all the peripheral units around it. For instance, the collection also accommodates a maritime gallery, quirky Indian toys, contemporary and tribal art along transportation themes, an aviation gallery including impressive memorabilia, retro film posters, and other what-have-you. With such an ambitious patchwork of archival, one is given to understand that Thakral isn’t simply an automobile enthusiast but that his enthusiasm extends also to the age to which these automobiles belong—increasingly the museum begins to appear as one man’s attempts to claw close to his chest the golden 20th century.When asked about his affinity for 20th-century nostalgia, Thakral acknowledges that while his primary interest lies in the arts—he finds the early to mid-20th century particularly captivating. Why that period holds such allure? He admits, it's rather difficult to pinpoint an exact reason.Inside The Heritage Transport MuseumAs such, walking into the museum is like turning the wheels of time and driving straight into transport history. The exhibits are not crammed into dusty, dark corridors but come forth brilliantly against walls bearing murals done by Hanif Qureshi and shutters done by a certain Pakistani artist.Beginning with a display of the evolution of wheels, each gallery narrates a distinct chapter in India's transportation history. From ornate palanquins to the camel and bullock carts of yore going all the way to gleaming Buicks and Dodges of the bombastic 1930s and 1940s, even a whole restored Railway coach—the Jodhpur Salon bought at a princely sum of five lacs—perched on a reconstructed railway platform satiates the average enthusiast's automotive scopophilia.The various thematic sections, each showcasing a particular mode of transport, will take a visitor hours to cover thoroughly. The automobile section is the one that particularly stands out. Top drawer cars, a total of 75 restored affairs, grace the museum. Classics like the ageless Hindustan Ambassador, Fiat, Studebaker and a rare 1932 Chevrolet are part of the rich collection. A restored Mercedes-Benz S280 sedan stands in all its sophisticated glory—the same model, not the car, in which Princess Diana met her accident, remarked Thakral. A regal-looking DeSoto Diplomat convertible, often associated with Rajesh Khanna in his films, also stands in silent opulence.On this floor, a side wall with what-might-be-called dioramas with repair and mechanic shops for cars add to the charm of the retro appeal of the place. Old products and ads take a visitor’s mind back to simpler times.With such an overwhelming exhibition of vintage cars, I wondered if the so-called ‘cars of the future’ like the Tesla would ever find a spot in this museum. Futuristic as they are, Thakral did betray an interest in these cars. However, it’s not the Tesla but a certain Reva, which was India’s first electric car, originally developed by the Bengaluru-based Reva Electric Car Company in the late 1990s and later acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra in 2010. It’s not much to boast about, remarked Thakral, except a lot of the credit for electric vehicles in India should go to Reva.On the floor shedding a light on the two-wheelers and cycles, models ranging from the earliest bicycles and mopeds to iconic scooters like the Bajaj Chetak and the famed Lambretta add to the depth of historicity in the museum. These exhibits are further paired with popular culture references around transportation—film posters, ads, songs—creating a scintillating experience that undulates between machine and memories; or machine and its memories. An entire gallery is dedicated to transport in Indian cinema, rendered informative with memorabilia that illustrated how vehicles have functioned as characters and added to the narrative force of films, for instance, Rajdoot motorcycles in "Bobby", gear cycles in "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar." or the classic sidecar-bike in "Sholay." To this end, the same red car used in "Dil To Pagal Hai" elevates the intersectional enjoyment of cars and cinema at the museum.While Thakral may not identify as a “film buff,” he is indeed interested in films for the extra-cinematic like posters and lobby-cards. Vehicles being used in films excite him, he tells me, and that is precisely the kernel of his collection. One film that was for his memory a work of a moment to fish out in the automotive vein—apart from the American classics and their usage as well as destruction of cars—was "Qurbani" (1980), featuring, in addition to Feroz Khan and Vinod Khanna, a lot of cars and chase sequences, he reminisced.Beyond the road vehicles, the museum also shines a light on the world of railways, aviation, maritime transport and even toys. The aviation section displays scale models of aircraft and documents India's civil aviation history. The railway gallery recreates a 1930s railway platform and coach, and even includes ticket counters, railway signage, and maps from colonial times. There's also a focus on rural and indigenous transport—from hand-pulled rickshaws and camel carts to river boats and snow sledges—giving visitors a sense of the vast regional variety of mobility in India. A selection of what Thakral calls "dinky cars" are also in the collection. While they were first imported from the UK and USA, India soon started manufacturing its own "dinky cars," Thakral informed us. China, however, soon took over and the sale of these toys dipped dramatically in India.The museum also frequently hosts special exhibitions, workshops and community engagement programmes. In 2024, it celebrated its 11th anniversary with the launch of two new exhibitions. One of them, titled "Light Years Ahead," explored futuristic modes of transportation and imagined the way humans may travel in the next 50 years. The other, "Prints of the Divine," showcased early works by celebrated Indian artists like Raja Ravi Varma and M.V. Dhurandhar, drawing a connection between transport and the spiritual journeys often depicted in Indian visual art.Why Visit the MuseumA visit to the Heritage Transport Museum is a lesson that goes beyond the restored vintage contraptions; it is a meditation in the history of how India moved, and more importantly, who got to move and how. In this museum, transport is presented in a two-pronged manner: with the long-standing industrial fascination, as well as a mirror to society. It deftly shows the varied nature of transport reflecting on the social class, occupation and access. While on one hand, I observed the ride of the aristocrats and colonial elites, ranging from the palanquins to hand-pulled rickshaws; on the other hand, I saw bullock carts and bicycles, the working class vehicles. The museum, intentionally or unintentionally, takes a piercing look and directly decodes the class hierarchies deeply embedded in transport itself.Additionally, as a society obsessed with retro in films, fashion and fetishes, a visit to this museum assures a satisfactory exposure to the old world. As Mark Fisher said, being in the 21st century is to have 20th century culture on high-definition screens. Similarly, being in this museum is to have the 20th century automotive culture on wheels. It's a tactile, immersive plunge into the past—not through sepia-toned nostalgia, but through chrome-plated, grease-scented realism.The Information | Heritage Transport MuseumHow to reach Heritage Transport Museum: The Heritage Transport Museum is located off NH 48 (Delhi-Jaipur Highway), near Bilaspur Chowk, in the Taoru area of Gurugram, Haryana. It is approximately 40 km from Gurugram city centre and around 75 km from New Delhi.By Car: The most convenient way to reach the museum is by car or taxi. You can drive via NH 48 and take the Bilaspur-Tauru Road exit. The museum is well signposted and offers ample parking. The journey from Delhi typically takes around two hours depending on traffic.By Bus: You can take a public bus from Gurugram or Delhi towards Bilaspur Chowk. From Bilaspur Chowk, you will need to hire a local taxi or auto-rickshaw to cover the remaining distance to the museum, which is a short drive away.By Train: The nearest railway station is Garhi Harsaru Junction, which is about 25 km from the museum. From the railway station, you would need to hire a taxi or auto-rickshaw to reach the Heritage Transport Museum.By Metro: The nearest Delhi Metro station is Sector 55-56 on the Rapid Metro Gurgaon line, which is still a considerable distance (around 17 km) from the museum. From the metro station, you would need to take a taxi or auto-rickshaw to reach the museum.Address: Bilaspur - Taoru Road, Major District Road 132 Off NH 8, Bilaspur, Chowk, Tauru, Haryana 122105Timings: 10 am to 7 pm (Mondays closed)Cost: INR 500 adults and INR 250 for childrenDid You Know Mumbai Is Home To The World's Only Parsi Museum?