Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Museums In Jaipur

Museums In Jaipur

Museums are the reflection of ancient culture, customs and traditions of a place. At the same time, they offer amusement to the visitors.

There are a quite a few museums in Jaipur. The Albert Hall Museum, for instance, is surrounded by flowerbeds, and fountains. This museum is also sometimes referred to as the Government Central Museum. The museum has an exquisite collection of paintings, which are in deed a marvel to watch. It also has some priceless jewelry, earthenware, pottery, natural stones, articles of ivory, metal works, finely carved brassware and other exhibits. There is a special section in the museum which Egyptian mummy and another section displays toys of various countries.

The one next in the line of Jaipur museums is the City Palace Museum. The Diwan-i-Aam section of this museum has great sights to offer. It has a host of collections, which include original ancient manuscripts of the Hindus. The miniature form of the Bhagwat Gita is another interesting object. This was specifically made to hide from the cruel reach of Aurangzeb who was a religious fanatic and destroyed almost everything he found at hand. The ceilings are beautifully decorated and deserve special admiration for the tradional Rajput architechture. Also, there is a special section known as the Diwan-i- Khas, which is meant for private audience. The chandeliers are a beauty to watch.

Jaipur museums also include The Dolls Museum, which is only meant for collection of dolls form various parts of the country and also from abroad. The regional dolls add an extra flavor to the local customs. The dolls in bridal attire are very beautiful to watch.

Hawa Mahal Museum is yet another one of the category of Jaipur museums. Centred on the historical Hawa Mahal, the museum gives you a clear insight of the splendid structure.

Albert Hall Museum
Located just outside the walled city is the sprawling Ram Niwas garden, which has always been a place for recreational activities since the reign of Sawai Ram Singh ji . This exquisitely designed garden with forcentry doors and a huge complex with small pools and fountains, flourishing lawns and beautiful flower beds all around was basically a famine relief project. It mostly attracted the British families where they entertained their guest and families quite often with the lavish gowns of the Men and formal colourful attires of the nobels and the high society club members, this park would come alive with the setting sun.

Their individual 'BAGGIS' were parked outside in a line and the attendants served around as helpers. The children basically had a gala timely playing around in 'JHULAS'(swing) etc. During day time it was opened for the common public and by the evening it was opened for common public and by the evening it was available for exclusive lots. Situated in the middle of the garden as a centre attraction was the exquisitely built structure of Albert Hall, which was designed by sir Swinton Jacob, a British architect who designed many palaces in Rajasthan.

Combining the elements of English and north Indian architecture known as the pride of the New Jaipur opened in 1887 AD, it is a very well maintained and impressive building displaying a rich collection of Art- de- fact like paintings, carpet, ivory, stone and metal sculptures and colourful crystal works etc. Just opposite the Albert Hall is one of the oldest ZOO in the country, harbouring different species of birds and animals. Another piece of attraction near the Albert Hall, is the Ravindra Rang Manch (theatre) with a modern art gallery and an performing art theatre both indoor and open air. Recently added joints of interest are streets dotted with food stalls which promises a delicious variety of Indian fast food certainly relished by the tourists.

Hawa Mahal Museum
The Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Mahal is an built by red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. The palaces and forts , which is witness to the royal processions and splendours are now living monuments, accepted quite naturally into the lifestyle of the people of the "Pink City".There is, also, a small archaeological museum on the same site.

Behind the beautiful Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) in the adjoining Partap Mandir, a museum was set up in the year 1983. Preserved here, is the sculptural heritage collected from Ganeshwar, Virat Nagar, Raid, Sambhar and Museum of Indology, Jaipur Nagar.Exhibits include items of terracotta, antiquities, fish hooks, arrow heads, swords, helmets and belongings of the Maharajas of Jaipur. A big storage vessel of 2nd century AD obtained during archaeology at Naliasar (Sambhar) draws the attention of visitors.

Dolls Museum
Dolls Museum in Jaipur is perhaps the most famous among all other museums of 'Pink City' and is largely visited by tourists from all over the globe. The museum is home to a large number of lovely dolls representing different cultures across the world. One is sure to be mesmerized with the striking beauty of these dolls clad in the traditional attires of various countries at the Dolls Museum in Jaipur.

Situated about 4 km from the city center, Dolls Museum was built in 1974 with the purpose of providing an insight into the different cultures that are present all over the world. There are a large number of Indian dolls depicting the traditional costumes of different states across India. One can see the local attire of Gujarat, Bengal, Assam, Kashmir, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and several other Indian states at the Dolls Museum in Jaipur. The most striking are bridal dresses of different states like Mysore, Kerala, Gujarat, Bengal and Punjab. The particular costumes of different classical dance forms in India like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi and Kuchipudi have also been beautifully put on display at the Dolls Museum of Jaipur.

There is an equally splendid variety of dolls portraying the culture of both developed nations as well as the Third World. The national dresses of USA, Britain, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Ghana, Uganda, Lebanon and Afghanistan are particularly striking. Beautiful dolls dressed up in the bridal wear of Japan, Malaysia, Burma, China and New Zealand look absolutely stunning and add to the beauty of the already magnificent costumes. The Dolls Museum in Jaipur creates a small fairytale world of its own. The way in which dolls have been used to present the varied cultures across the globe is indeed commendable.

City Palace Museum
Walking into the city palace museum of Diwan-I-Am, the hall for the public, one is enthralled by its vast collection of displays. Interesting are the original parchments and ancient manuscripts of Hindu scriptures. The miniature copies of Bhagwat Gita, the holy book of the Hindus, were written to be saved from Emperor Aurangazeb’s intolerance towards other religions, are also found in this museum. Besides the miniature paintings of Rajasthan grace the halls. Paintings on Mughal art and Persian school of art are also on display. The themes on which these paintings have been done are varied and it includes the epic story, Ramayana that is very engrossing. The ceilings of the museum are also painted and are preserved well. T

he elephant saddles known as “haudha” are also displayed. There is a hall for private audience known as the Diwan-I-Khas which displays world’s greatest silver objects, two huge silver vessels. This marble paved hall also has magnificent well-preserved chandeliers. A part of the Palace is still occupied by the royal family but it is worth visiting the ground floor since you can spot the majestic peacock in the courtyard. It is a well-preserved museum maintaining century old legacies with great care.

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