, where the library functioned from 1966 to 1974. , preserved within the museum. from the entrance porch of Teen Murti Bhawan. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) is housed within the
Teen Murti Bhavan complex, the complex is named after three statues (Teen Murti in
Hindi) established by sculptor Leonard Jennings of Britain in 1922 in honor of the three
Indian princely states Jodhpur,
Hyderabad and
Mysore after their
contribution in World War I by serving in the present day
Gaza Strip,
Israel, and
Palestine. It was designed by
Robert Tor Russell who also designed
Connaught Place and a few parts of
Janpath. Spread over 12 hectares, its construction started in 1929 and took around one year for completion. It is a masterpiece of
British and
French architecture and woodwork. Initially known as Flagstaff House, it was used by
British forces as the residence of the
Commander-in-Chief. After
independence, the house was taken over as the residence of
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964), the first
prime minister of India. After his death in 1964, it was decided that the Teen Murti Bhawan should be converted into a museum and a library which would promote original research in modern Indian history with special reference to the
Nehruvian era. It was inaugurated on his birth anniversary, 14 November that year, by then President
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society was formed on 1 April 1966. The museum was set up in the eastern wing and the library in the western wing of the sprawling building, now called Building I, and retained its colonial architecture while it was being adapted into the Nehru Museum.
Bal Ram Nanda was its founder-director, who also curated the museum and library for the next 17 years and received the
Padma Vibhushan in 2003. With the passage of time and the rapid growth of research material in the library, more space was required and an exclusive library building was constructed. It was formally inaugurated by President
V. V. Giri in January 1974. However, the steady increase in the volume of material required for research further necessitated the construction of an Annex Building which was completed in 1989. The Centre for Contemporary Studies was set up as an advanced studies unit of NMML in 1990 in the Annex Building. NMML took over the charge of the
Nehru Planetarium from the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund in 2005. To commemorate the Foundation Day of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, it organizes an annual lecture on 1 April, called the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Foundation Day Lecture. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library has over the years, supported scholars and historians across India. Through its fellowship program, the Nehru Memorial Fellowship, it has funded some of India's best academics, such as
Chief Information Commissioner O. P. Kejriwal. In 2009, several well-known academics, such as
Ramachandra Guha,
Sumit Sarkar,
Nivedita Menon,
Nayanjot Lahiri,
Mushirul Hasan,
Mukul Kesavan,
Mahesh Rangarajan, and
Krishna Kumar, alleged that the institution was being run in an inefficient and corrupt fashion. They pointed out that NMML had discontinued its publication program and that the acquisition of manuscripts and oral histories had all but come to a halt. In turn, writer and activist
Madhu Kishwar, environmentalist
Pradip Krishen, and historians
Irfan Habib and
D. N. Jha came out in support of NMML and its director,
Mridula Mukherjee. On 26 April 2016, a dagger gifted to prime minister Nehru by
Saudi Arabia was stolen from the Nehru Memorial Museum. In 2023, prime minister
Narendra Modi called for an inclusive national memorial to all Indian prime ministers, regardless of their political background. The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the renamed Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society, expanded the NMML into the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya. The newly built Building II, was designed by Sikka Associates Architects. The design represents hands of different prime ministers' shaping a rising nation, with elements symbolizing collective progress and development. Building II incorporates
eco-friendly features such as
solar panels,
rainwater harvesting systems, and
landscaped green zones, and is planned with clean lines, open atria, and panoramic
glazing to symbolize
transparency in governance. Both buildings are linked via landscaped pathways, for a visitor experience between the heritage and modern sections. The entire project spans around 15,600m² and houses 43 distinct galleries. The planning process prioritized minimal disruption to the heritage estate, with much of the new construction placed on previously
disturbed ground to protect green spaces. == Museum ==