The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day today on 18 May, 2013.
The museums in Rajasthan can get you a clear understanding of the rich and diverse culture, traditions, arts, history, crafts and other notable features of the state. Not only one will have a tryst with a marvelous history, museums also get to behold at some of the rarest and finest artifacts to be ever found in the world.
Let’s have a glimpse on some of the World famous museums of Rajasthan.
Albert Hall, Jaipur- located in the gardens of Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur and is believed to be the oldest in the state. Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob designed the museum in 1876 to welcome King Edward VII on his visit to India. The museum was opened to public ten years later. The rare articles on display are metal and woodcrafts, pottery, arms and weapons, textiles, carpets, paintings of flora and fauna of the state, toys, and dolls.
Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Museum, City Palace, Jaipur
Located within the City Palace complex, the museum is the brainchild of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and houses ancestral collections of successive rulers of Amer and Jaipur. Initially, only selective visitors and dignitaries could visit this museum with prior permission. In 1959 this private museum was opened to the public.
Udaipur Museum
The City Palace Museum is the jewel in the crown of the Udaipur City Palace Complex It is here that you can immerse yourself in the history of the Maharanas of Mewar, and really get a feel for their culture and how royalty lived.
Government Museum, Jodhpur
Located in Umaid Public gardens of Jodhpur, the museum has a huge collection of artifacts that reveal the rich history of the region. It was during the reign of Maharaja Umed Signhji, the beautiful museum was built. The museum also boasts a great architecture and the credit goes to Edwardian architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester.
Prachina Museum, Junagarh Fort, Bikaner
With a vision to preserve rich cultural diversity and to showcase monolithic identity of Bikaner, this Cultural Center and Museum was established by Siddhi Kumari daughter of Late Maharaja Narendra Singhji of Bikaner in 2000, at the beginning of the new millennium. Located in the great Junagarh Fort, it reflects the vivid glimpses of legacy that survived in the contemporary past. Also on display is the European wine glasses, cut glass decorative objects, cutlery and crockery used in the regal kitchen. Perfumes and other interesting things that were an integral part of the Royal household are there to enchant you as you exhibit sections at the museum.
Rao Madjo Singh, Museum Kota
The city palace houses the excellent
. You’ll find all the stuff necessary for a respectable royal existence – silver furniture, ingenious weapons and a stable of palanquins. The oldest part of the palace dates from 1624. Amazing mirror work and some of Rajasthan’s best-preserved miniatures decorate the small-scale apartments – the upstairs rooms dance with exquisite paintings of hunting and court scenes.
Government Museum, Ajmer
Akbar built this imposing palace in 1570 – partly as a pleasure retreat, but mainly to keep a watchful eye on local rulers. It was here, on 10 January, 1616, that Sir Thomas Roe, ambassador of King James 1 of England, was given the first official audience by the Emperor Jehangir. Akbar's Palace houses the government museum, which has a small collection of stone sculptures, weapons and miniature paintings.
Lohagarh Fort Museum, Bharatpur
Located in the center of the famous Lohagarh Fort, the Bharatpur Museum houses a rich collection of archaeological wealth of the nearby areas as well as from the old Bharatpur State. The huge palatial building Kachahari Kalan, once the administrative block of the rulers of Bharatpur State, was converted into a museum in 1944 AD later on, Kamra Khas (personal chamber) building on the first floor was added to the museum
The Art Gallery of the museum has specimens of miniature paintings on leaves of the peepal tree, mica and old lithopapers alongwith the paintings of the Maharajas of Bharatpur.
MehranGarh Fort Museum, Jodhpur
The magnificent Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur houses rare and interesting artifacts, textiles, paintings and transport items. The beautiful Palanquin and Howdah Galleries have some of the most captivating historic items that are both old and expensive, on display.
On World Museum Day, there will be no entry fee charged from the visitors today visiting museums in the state.
