Shankar's International Dolls Museum, Doll museum in Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, India.

Shankar's International Dolls Museum occupies part of the first floor of the Children's Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, reached by a separate entrance and a winding staircase up to a foyer. Its 5,184.5 sq ft hall is split into two equal halves holding over 160 glass cases running some 1,000 ft along the walls: one side for Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and the CIS, the other for Asia, the Middle East, Africa and India.

Cartoonist K. Shankar Pillai opened this museum in 1965 after bringing back figures from his travels with government representatives. The collection grew over the years through donations and purchases from Asia, Europe, and other continents.

The museum's own workshop makes over 150 Indian costume dolls, researched for physical features, dress and jewellery, and these are exchanged for gifts from abroad or sold to collectors. Displays include Kathakali characters in lavish costume, Japanese Kabuki and Samurai dolls, a Hungarian Maypole Dance, Spanish Flamenco dancers, a Thai Women's Orchestra and Sri Lanka's Kandy Perahera.

The entrance sits on a busy road near other public buildings, making it easy to combine the visit with nearby stops. Plan about an hour to walk through the exhibits and take in the displays at a comfortable pace.

Part of the collection comes from countries Pillai never visited himself but received as gifts from foreign diplomats and travelers. Some cabinets also contain handcrafted miniature furniture and everyday objects that provide context for the figures.