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Museums in Rajasthan

Ajmer Govt Museum
Situated in the heart of the old city and close to the railway station the museum is housed in the beautiful fort and palace built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1570. It was here that the British envoy Sir Thomas Roe met Emperor jahangir in 1616. What is today commonly known as Magazine is the palace quarters where the emperors lived. After British occupation in 1818 and during the first war of Independence in 1857 it was used as the Rajputana Arsenal by the British which gave the name magazine.


Awar Govt Museum
Housed in the old City Palace, it has a unique collection of arms, bidri work, lacquered and ivory work, musical instruments, stuffed animals, beautiful brass and pottery works from Jaipur, Multan, Bengal and Ceylon, miniature paintings and Persian and Sanskrit manuscripts. The museum is divided into three major sections, each housed in a big hall.


Virat Nagar Museum
Virat Nagar museum Virat Nagar was the capital of the legendary Matsayadesh. Frequent refences of Matsayadesh have been made in the Indian epic- the Mahabharat.

In the epic period, the area around the district of Jaipur, Alwar and Bharatpur came to be known as Matsayadesh with Virat Nagar as its capital. The museum, although not very large has the richest collection.

The excavated material like potteries,pikkins old coins, seals, metallic pieces, weaponos and statues have been exhibited here.


Bharatpur Govt Museum
located in the centre of the famous Lohagarh Fort, the Bharatpur Museum houses a rich collection of archaeological wealth of the nearby areas as from the old Bharatpiir State. The huge palatial building Kachahari Kalan, once the administrative block of the rulers of Bharatpur state, was converted into a Museum in 1944. Lateron, the Kamra Khas (personal chamber) building on the first floor was added to the museum. It exhibits sculptures found during the excavation of old villages e.g. Noh, Mailah, Bareh, Bayana etc. ranging from the Kuslian period.

Fort Museum Junagadh
Inside the precincts of Ganga Mahal of Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, the Fort Museum displays a fine collection of antique Rajput arms and weapons, jade handle daggers, camel hide shields, inlaid handguns, gold and silver 'howdahs' (the seat made especially for an elephant ride) and a First World War biplane.

Ganag Golden Jubilee Musem Bikaner
Ganga Mahal, the imposing halls added by Maharaja Ganga Singh, now houses the Fort Museum. It contains a fine collection of antique Rajput weaponry, jade handle daggers, camel hide dhals (shields) and inlaid handguns and camel guns.
Gold and silver howdahs, jhulas, palkis and a first world war biplane are on view. Other important objects include a pair of drums belonging to jambhoji, the saint who predicated the foundation of the dynasty by Rao Bika for 450 years. Photographs and items of personal use by Maharaja Ganga Singh and miniatures are also on view.

Location: Junagarh, Rajasthan

Attractions: Antique Rajput weaponry, WWI biplane


Dungarpur Museum
Established in 1988, "Rajmata Devendra Kunwar State Museum and Cultural Centre, Dungarpur has a sculpture gallery of the museum, which throws light on the history of Vagad Pradesh (the former princely state of the region) and a panel of portraits of the one-time Maharajas of Dungarpur State and photographs of historical interest.


Fateh Prakash Museum
In the premises of the Chittaurgarh Fort, this palatial museum occupies a major portion of the Fateh Prakash Palace since 1968. It has on its display post-medieval sculptures including Ganpati dating back to 8th-9th century from Pangarh and lndra and Ambica statues from Rashmi village and beautiful clay models of local tribal people with their traditional outfits. The major sections of the museum are Archaeology, Art Gallery, Coins, Wood Crafts mainly those of Bassi village, Weapons & Armory and Tribal Life.


Amer Archaeological Museum
Located in the Dil-e-A-aram Gardens, of Amer, the ancient capital of Jaipur, and established in 1949. Prior to this, the escavated material from Rairh, Bairat, Sambhar, Nagar etc. and the sculptures and epigraphs collected from various sites in the erstwhile Jaipur State were housed at Vidyadhar Gardens in Purana Ghat.

In July 1949 the entire collection was transferred to Dil-e-Aaram Garden, a part of the old palace 1992 in this complex. The museum is divided into three sections : Archaeological section, Which contains material recovered from excavations at Rairh, Bairat,Sambhar, Nagar, Pamvar, Bansi and Virat Nagar. Sculpture section. Epigraphy section.

There are two yupa Pillars (sacrificial posts) with inscriptions from Barnala; Pratihar sculptures from Abhaneris (8th ccentury A.D.) and Terracotta from Rairh, Bairat, Sambhar and Nagar belonging to an earlyu historical perios.

The material is arranged in chronological sequence, making the visitor familiar with the contribution of Rajasthan in various fields of art through the ages.


Sawai Man Singh Museum
Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum is situated within the City Palace complex and nestled amidst old buildings, temples and the palace quarters. This museum was built by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II in 1959. The exhibition consist of the ancestral collections built up by the successive rulers of Amer and Jaipur, and is presently run by a public charitable trust. Within the museum, a various collection of paintings, manuscripts, weapons and armours was displayed in the Pothikhaana (library) and the Silehkhana or armoury of the palace.
The museum surrounded by visitors from all over the world especially in winters, it is found over crowded. A separate entry fee for the Indians, foreigners and students are provided by the Museum staff . If a large group of students enter within the museum, the tickets are provided in concessional rate. The staff of the museum with their traditional dresses makes the atmosphere of the museum more welcoming. The museum organizes many workshops and other educational activities, specially for children. Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II museum is one the centre for excellence.


Jaislamer Folklore Museum
A well organized museum divided into six sections and has a rich collection of paintings, photographs, costumes, hairstyles and jewelry, utility articles of rural life, camel and horse decorations, fossils, ornamental arches, as well as articles connected with folk and cultural lifestyles.


Jalslamer Govt Museum
The Govt. museum in Jaisalmer is situated on Police Line Road near Moomal Hotel. It was opened in 1984. It houses a large collection of wood and marine fossils and gives an insight into the geological past of the area. Sculptures from the ancient townships of Kiradu and Lodurva dating back to the 12th century pulsate with youth and grace and depict the skill of the time.


Jodhpur Govt Museum
Government Museum of Jodhpur, Rajasthan is situated on the High Court Road. It stands in the middle of the Umaid public gardens. The museum building and the garden were developed during the time of Maharaja Umaid Singhji. It encompasses a wide collection of weapons, textiles, miniature portraits and local arts and crafts. Also displayed in the museum are, portraits of rulers and the manuscripts and images of Jain Tirthankars.

Rajasthan's popular Government Museum also has a public library and a zoo, located in the pleasant Umaid Gardens. The museum holds a special attraction for kids. Children get very excited by the sight of stuffed animals, including a number of desert birds in two glass cases, each with a thorn bush. There is also a military section, exhibiting cumbersome wooden biplane models and an extraordinary brass battleship.


Umaid Bhawan Museum
Maharaja Umaid Singhji was very fascinated by western lifestyle. So, he hired the services of a well-known Edwardian architect, Henry Vaughan Lanchester to get Umaid Bhavan palace constructed. A part of the palace now houses the Umaid Bhavan Palace of Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

The museum is very well maintained, displaying an exclusive range of items belonging to the Maharaja and the royal family. Rajasthan's famous Umaid Bhavan Palace Museum is highly recommended for its display of items ranging from weapons to an array of stuffed leopards to antiques to some fascinating crockery to various trophies. Also exhibited is a huge banner presented by Queen Victoria and an amazing collection of clocks.


Mehrangarh Fort Museum
Jodhpur Mehrangarh Fort Museum is one of the finest museums in Rajasthan. It is beautifully laid out. It has a palanquin section where you can see a wide collection of old royal palanquins. The palanquin section of the museum of Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India also includes the elaborate domed gilt Mahadol palanquin, won in a battle from the Governor of Gujarat in 1730. The heritage of the Rathores, including arms, costumes, paintings, decorated period rooms, etc, is exhibited in the museum. The museum gives us an idea of the grandeur of the royal families of the past.

Suggested Tour Packages

Rajasthan Pushkar Tour (18 Days) Delhi - Jodhpur - Luni - Dhamli - Deogarh - Narlai - Kumbalgarh - Ranakpur - Udaipur - Dungarpur - Udaipur - Delhi

Temples, Desert and Beaches Tour (17 Days) Delhi - Varanasi - Khajuraho - Orchha - Jhansi - Agra - Jaipur - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Bombay - Goa - Bombay

Palace on Wheels Train Tour (08 Days) Delhi - Jaipur - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Ranthambore - Udaipur - Agra - Delhi

North India Holiday Packages (18 Days) Delhi - Srinagar - Gulmarg - Kargil - Leh -Alchi - Jammu - Amritsar - Delhi - Jaipur - Agra - Delhi