India, which stands for the splendid jewels of the Maharajas and the most perfect monument of love, the Taj Mahal. The India Special Exhibit in Hall A6 gives a hint of the treasures for which the breathtaking country is famous. The centrepiece: the "Emperor of India", the most beautiful aquamarine crystal in the world – an enormous, luminescent, turquoise precious stone, almost 10 kg in weight and 32 cm in height. The large sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha cut from a massive quartz and "talking" stones are other highlights.
 
Pandey's Big Dream
The Indian Krishna Chandra Pandey dreamed of establishing a mineral museum that was unique worldwide. In 2001, it was finally done: the Gargoti Museum was opened as the first and to date only private mineral museum in India in Nasik, 170 km north of Mumbai. "Gargoti" means "zeolite" in the local language. The museum displays the most splendid and beautiful examples of this unique mineral, which has stored so much water within it that it seems to boil when heated - thus, its Greek name means "boiling stone". The great success of his idea encouraged Pandey to plan a further mineral museum with striking architecture in the city of Shirdi, the second largest Indian pilgrim city.


Giazotto's Precious Stone 
In 1995, a blue-green, translucent aquamarine crystal was discovered in Karur, in the Indian state of Tamilnadu, which was so magnificent and intense that it was immediately given the name "Emperor of India". The precious stone weighed ten kilos,  was perfectly crystallised by nature on all sides and was also recognised as one of the best of its kind because of its clarity, colour and size. In 2000, Khrisna Chandra Pandey was able to acquire the crystal for the collection of the Indian Gargoti Museum In 2003, the precious stone passed to the collection of the private Italian collector Giazotto, famous for his passion for wanting to own only the best minerals in the world. The Adalberto Giazotto Collection has been on display at the La Specola Natural History Museum in Florence since March 2009. The aquamarine crystal is being displayed for the first time in Munich as part of the special exhibit "India's Hidden Treasure".
 
The Crystal God of Happiness
Who would not like to have happiness, wealth and intelligence in life? For many devout Hindus, a statue of Ganesha is the first thing they put in a new house. This blesses the house and promises happiness. Ganesha is portrayed as a child with an elephant's head, which expresses wisdom, but also strength. The beautiful arts, however, also come under his influence. Ganesha is patron of sciences and protector of merchants. A Ganesha of pure quartz will emanate the most power - such an example is the centrepiece of the Indian special exhibit in the style of a maharaja's palace.

Mother Nature as Poetic Artist
The dendrite agates from central India are a special example of natural art: transparent quartz, where manganese and iron oxides have formed patterns and shapes inside, which look like small ferns, mosses or miniature landscapes. Dendrite agates were given a magical significance in many cultures. Whether picture agate, landscape agate, tree agate or moss agate - no stone is like another, each tells its own story. Tarun Adlakha, owner of a small Indian mining company, is loaning these very special precious stones, which he calls "Fossilised Poetry".
  
Maharaja
One of the most unusual and beautiful dendrite agates


 








Pompeji
Like a volcanic eruption in Pompeii, these wonderful, colourful dendrite agates look like they were painted by the hand of an artist



Hanuman
The reddish patterns resemble the Hindu ape god Hanuman
 















The Special Exhibits