Jaipur, the home to majestic forts, intricately designed temples and decorated havelis, is a treasure trove of the departed epoch. Although Jaipur does not have a number of museums to boast of, the wide antique collections, miniature paintings and souvenirs of royal legacy are good enough to mesmerize you. On your visit to the museums here, you can see various artifacts, precious stones, frescos, musical instruments, and other rare relics that epitomize the city’s rich heritage and opulence of the past. On visiting the pink city, don’t forget to visit two of Jaipur’s oldest museums- ‘The Albert Museum’ and ‘The City Palace Museum’. These two museums, which stand as symbol of the art and culture of the bygone era and showcases the regal legacy of the city, attracts thousands of visitors every year. The museums in Jaipur are worth visiting. Explore this article further and you will truly know why.
Jaipur Museums
The Albert Hall Museum
This museum is one of the oldest state museums in the city. Located outside the city, in the heart of Ram Niwas Garden, this rambling edifice is surrounded by expansive greenery and beautiful fountains. The museum itself has an interesting history of its own to relate. Named after King Edward II, this historical repository was built in 1876 by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob. The museum, also known as Central Museum, has an extensive collection of prized artifacts like unique paintings, precious stones, metal objects, ivory collection, traditional carpet work, wooden carvings and sculptures, colorful tribal pieces and crystal work etc. Albert Hall is open to the visitors on all days from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm.
City Palace Museum
The sprawling City Palace Museum is an ostentatious piece of architecture wadded with several structures, a lavish gardens, exhibition areas, and ornate temples. Some of the major attractions of this museum are Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut Mahal, Maharani’s Palace, and Pitam Niwas Chowk. Diwan-I-Am and Diwan-I-Khas are other two major attractions of this rambling museum. These two vibrantly decorated chambers showcase the real Rajasthani art style and represent the regal grandeur with �lan. On your trip to this museum, you will get to see various art forms belonging to Rajput, Persian and Mughal era. There is a vast series of objects on display like musical instruments, glasswork, ethnic clothing, traditional games, armory, and other objects to signify the legacy of the past. The museum is situated at the very heart of the city and is open to the public from Monday to Saturday between 10 am to 5 pm.
Doll Museum
The doll museum is another unique museum in Jaipur, which is highly popular among tourists and students. The doll museum was constructed in 1974 and is located 4 km away from the heart of the city. A visit to the famous Doll Museum in Jaipur is likely to be a memorable experience for the visitors. This museum, which houses dolls of different culture, tradition, and ethnicities from all across the world, offers a real treat to the visitors. Dressed in classical, ethnic, national and bridal wears, the dolls here typifies the culture and tradition of diverse lands. A trip to these museums sums up as a true educational experience for the students and children. The museum is open on all days from 12 pm to 7 pm.
Maharaja Sawai ManSingh II Museum
Maharaja Sawai ManSingh II Museum, located inside the City Palace, was constructed in the year 1959. This museum, which exhibits old paintings, war weapons, armory, manuscripts, books and clothing, has three separate galleries dedicated to the antique wares collected by Maharaja of Sawai Man Singh the second. The three galleries are - Mubarak Mahal, which showcases a wide spread collection of traditional clothes worn by the Maharaja himself, Silehkhana or the armory gallery, which displays handguns, pistols, swords, lances, knives, arrows in various shapes and sizes, maces, shields made out of crocodile and buffalo skin, and Art Gallery, which holds a mesmerizing collection of frescos, books, manuscripts, photos, instruments, and a rare collections of Indian epics in the Persian language.
Museum of Indology
Museum of Indology has an exceptional collection of folk and Tantric art items, paintings done on rice, manuscripts, fossils, timepieces and currency notes. The museum was constructed in 1960 by Ram Charan Sharma. This place holds a vast collection of illustrated and un-illustrated manuscripts, historical documents, a large collection of paintings, interesting textile designs and a huge collection of sculptures. The museum is open to the visitors on all days from 10 am to 5 pm on all day, except Fridays.
Art Galleries
Apart from sprawling museums, Jaipur also has quite a few art galleries like Juneja Art Gallery, Modern Art Gallery, and Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing to offer to its visitors. Theses art galleries are a visual treat to any art enthusiast. They are open on all days of the week from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm.
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