Why to visit Diu Museum
The Diu Museum, a popular tourist attraction in the town, is housed in the St. Thomas Church. Built in 1598, the church has now been converted into a museum. The old and fading portraits and paintings left behind by the Portuguese can still be seen on the walls. A charming lawn path leads up to the Diu Museum, which is accompanied by gorgeous fountains. The location is transformed into a wonderful sight in the evenings, with colourful lights gracing the structure.
This structure served as an orphanage, an old age home, a police station, and it also housed the Angolan Battalion prior to freedom. It was neglected for several years after freedom. The church was eventually modified into a museum in 1992. The church no longer holds prayer sessions since the transformation of the building to a museum, though an annual mass is held on All Saints Day, November 1st.
What's inside the museum ?
The St. Thomas Museum has a number of old kings' stone inscriptions, antique sculptures, multi-colored fountains, wood carvings and idols, shadow-clocks, and other important objects, all of which provide insight into Diu's history and past as a Portuguese colony. There are also 400-year-old hardwood and marble statues of St. Thomas and St. Benedict at this museum. It's a treasure trove of archaeology.
How to reach ?
✓ By Train: Veraval Railway Station is the closest station. Diu can be reached by travelling to Veraval, which is connected to Rajkot, Ahmedabad, and other major towns in western India.
✓ By Air: Nagoa is the location of Diu's airport. Jet Airways operates daily flights to and from Mumbai from here.
