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Rajasthan the land of massive forts, sprawling palaces intricately carved temples of colourful tribes and brave warriors, of unrivalled form of arts and crafts, unique dance and music traditions ,is changing at a rapid pace. Its vast network of Museums in large and small towns, archaeological sites and the recently opened museums and art galleries in the palaces of erstwhile rulers of old states help to preserve this great heritage for posterity. This small website provides a short introduction to some of these great treasure houses of this ancient land.

Government Museum, Ajmer
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 are 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. The Museum was started in 1908 by the Government of India with the object of collecting and preserving many unique objects of antiquarian interest which were lying unattended for and scattered all over Rajasthan.

Archaeological Museum, Amer-Jaipur
Located in the Dil-e-Aaram gardens, of Amer, the ancient capital of Jaipur, established in 1949.Prior to this, the excavated material from Rairh, Bairat, Sambhar, Nagar, etc. and the sculptures and epigraphs collected from various sites in the erstwhile Jaipur State were housed at Vidyahar Gardens in Purana Ghat. In July 1949the entire collection was transfered to Dil-e-Aaram garden, a part of the old palace at Amer. An Art Gallery was inaugurated in 1992 in this complex. 

The museum is divided into three sections: -
1) Archaeological section, which contains material recovered from excavations at Rairh, Bairat, Sambhar Nagar, Pamvar, Bansi and Virat Nagar.

(2) Sculpture section.

(3) Epigraphy section

Fort Museum, Junagarh Fort, 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 predicted 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.

Ganga Golden Jublee Museum, Bikaner
Established near the Lallgarh Palace in 1937 on the eve of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Maharaja Ganga Singh this museum now run by the Government of Rajasthan, was shifted to a new building in the Civil Lines in 1954.Some principal sections of the museum are.
 

• Maharaja Ganga Singh Memorial

• Local Arts and Crafts

• History

• Sculpture, Terracotta and Bronzes.

• Armoury

• Miniature Paintings and Folk-Arts.

• Dr.L.P. Tessitori Memorial Section.

• Lithoprints of the British Interpretation of the war of Independence 1857

Fateh Prakash Palace Museum, Chittorgarh
Inside the historical Chittorgarh Fort, one big portion of Fateh Prakash Palace was converted into a museum in the year 1968.

It has a great collection of sculptures. Among the important ones are Ganpati (8th-9th century)from Pangarh, Indra and Jain Ambica statues from Rashmi village of the post medieval period.

The section devoted to weapons, daggers, armoury consists of old shields, helmets, axes, farsa, knives and soldier’s uniforms. The clay models of local tribes with their traditional outfits have also been displayed in a room. The entire palatial museum has been divided in various sections like Archaeology, Coins, Art Gallery, Wood Crafts of Bassi village, Weapons and Tribal Life.

Government Central Museum [Albert Hall], Jaipur
Located in the center of the sprawling Ram Niwas Bagh, this is the oldest Museum in the State. The building was designed by Colonel Sir Swinton Jacob. It was built in 1876 when King Edward VII visited India as the Prince of Wales. It was opened to public in 1886.
The various sections represented in the museum are:-

1. Art and Industry (Metal, Wood and Pottery);

2. Armoury;

3. Textiles;

4. Carpets;

5. Paintings;

6. Geology;

7. Zoology;

8. Botany and

9. Toys & dolls.

There is a Persian garden carpet of a fabulous cost obtained by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I from Shah Abbas of Persia. It contains various sketches of a Persian garden with running water streams.

There is also an Egyptian mummy belonging to the Ptolemaic Epoch. There are miniature paintings of various sub-schools of Rajasthan. A glimpse of the land and the people of Rajasthan is presented through well planned dioramas.

From 1959 onwards the various galleries along the ground floor of the museum were completely reorganized and renovated. People of Rajasthan,(both males and females) from the higher strata of society, such as Rajputs and Seths as well as the common tribal people like Meenas, Bhopas, Bhils, Gadoliya Lohars and omaments. Typical designs and motifs in Mehndi Mandana, so characteristic of Rajasthani ladies, are also highlighted in the gallery. In the antechamber of wing is exhibited puppetry from Rajasthan and the painted scroll delineating the scenes from Pabuji Rathore's life, a great folk-hero from Marwar.

The central gallery is devoted to Rajasthani music and dance. Original musical instruments, both classical and folk, are displayed in their functional positions. Specimens include typical folk instruments like Masak, Kamayacha, Dadh, Madal, Khanjari, Sitari, Bankia, Pungi, Algoja, Iktara etc.

Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum, Jaipur
Located within the City Palace complex and nestled amidst old buildings, temples and the palaces quarters, this museum was founded in 1959 by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. The exhibits consist of the ancestral collections built up by the successive rulers of Amer and Jaipur, and is presently run by a public charitable trust. A small selection of paintings, manuscripts, weapons and armours was displayed in the Pothikhana (library) and the Silehkhana or armory (both of these in their present form, were established in 1952) of the palace.

However, the collection remained exclusive and was shown only to selective visitors and dignitaries with the special permission of the Maharaja. In 1959,this private museum consisting of the Pothikhana Silehkhana was thrown open to public and a new Textile and Costume gallery was added to it.

The Art Gallery is housed in the Diwan-i-Aam constructed for holding important State functions. A variety of objects-miniature paintings, illustrated manuscripts, decorated book covers, palm-leaf and Sanchipat manuscripts, old printed books, gigantic Mughal

carpets, gold and silver Takhi-e-Rawan (moveable throne),covered Ambabadis and open Howdahs, palanquins and carriages with rich embroidered velvet coverings are displayed in this gallery. The museum has a splendid collection of miniature paintings including two unique and priceless manuscripts of the Persian translation of the two Hindu epics, of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The latterwork, specially made for the use of Emperor Akbar, known as Razamnama, contains illustrations made by the greatest Mughal painters and is reported to have costed seventy two thousand gold mohurs in 1584-85 AD Besides the miniatures of Amer-Jaipur school, evident in the illustrations of the Ragamala, Bhagavata Purana, Devi Mahatmya etc are good examples of early and later Mughal schools, Deccanese schools and fair specimens from Bikaner, Malwa, Bundi, kota, Jodhpur, Kishangarh etc, are also represented. A fine collection of astronomical books in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit acquired by Sawai Jai Singh for study of the planets, and their movements, an old copy of the Ain-i-Akbari and its Hindi translation made in 1797 AD and a rare manuscript on 146 forms of Saligram, Surdas' Padavali (contemporary copy) and the earliest copy of Biharis' Satsai are also on display. The manuscript collection consist of nearly 16,000 volumes.

Folkore Museum, Jaisalmer
For anyone interested in seeing the culture of Jaisalmer on display through the ages, the Lok Sanskritik, Sangrahalaya or the Museum of Folk Culture situated on the bank of Gadsisar lake in Mehar Bagh Garden is a must. This museum was established in 1984 by N.K.Sharma, a local connoisseur.

This well organised museum is divided into six sections and has a rich collections of paintings, photographs, costumes, hairstyles and jewellery, utility articles of rural life, camel and horse decorations, fossils, ornamental arches, as well as articles connected with folk and cultural lifestyles.

Government Museum,  Jodhpur
Located in the Umaid gardens on High Court Road, it has a large and fairly interesting collection. There are many stuffed animals, including a number of desert birds in two glass cases, each with a thorn bush. The military section includes cumbersome wooden biplane, models and an extraordinary brass battleship.

Government Museum, Kota
Originally located in the Hawa Mahal just above the entrance of the fort it has now been shifted to the Brij Vilas Palace and has a new display and decor.

Archaeological Section:-

• Sculpture: The museum possesses several hundred sculptures from different cultural centers of the region. Generally, the sculptures belong to the period from the 8th to the 12th century AD though early specimens of the Gupta period (4th to 5th century A.D.) can also be seen. Sculptures worth mentioning are Shesh Sayi Vishnu form Badoli (Chittaurgarh), Jain image of Vardhaman from Baran and a dancing pair from Ramgarh.

• Inscription:- A few inscriptions are displayed in the museum.Yupa pillars from Badwa are very important specimens of 3rd century AD showing the popularity of Vedic rites.

• Coins:- Coins discovered from various sites of Kota region are preserved and displayed in the numismatic section. Most of the coins belong to the Mughal period and a few of them to the Rajput.

Painting Section -

Several miniature paintings of Bundi, Kota, Nathdwara and Jaipur schools are preserved in the museum. Paintings of Shrimad Bhagawata of the early 17th century are most attractive from the point of view of workmanships.

Manuscript Section:-

This section contains a number of manuscripts in Sanskrit. They include Vedic, Astronomical and Astrological works. Some Hindi manuscripts are also persevered. The Gita and the Bhagawata written in the minutest letters on the papers scrool are worth mentioning from the calligraphic point of view.

 Local Arts & Crafts of Hadoti Region:-
Arms, several kinds of handicraft costumes, etc. are also displayed in the section. A panoramic view of the cultural aspects of Kota region is available in the section through photographs, charts, maps etc.

City Palace Museum, Udaipur
The huge City Palace, towering over the Pichola Lake, is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Construction of this palace was started by Maharana Udai Singh, the city's founder. The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum with a large and

varied collection. It was established in 1890 and is one of the earliest museums of the state. The museum includes the Mor Chowk with its beautiful peacocks in mosaics, the favourite Rajasthani bird. The Manka (Ruby) Mahal has glass and porcelain figures while Krishna Vilas has a remarkable collection of miniatures. Bhim Vilas a boldly stripped floor and scenes from the Radha-Krishna stories are painted on the walls. In the Bari Mahal, there is a fine central garden. More paintings can be seen in the Zanana Mahal. The Moti Mahal has beautiful mirror work and the Chini Mahal is covered in ornamental tiles. This museum has the armour of Maharana Pratap and drums and bugles of the ruler of Mewar, Rana Sanga.

Government Museum, Udaipur
The Government Museum Of Udaipur was originally located in Gulab Bagh and was called Victoria Hall Museum. It has now been shifted to Karan Vilas Mahal within the precincts of the City Palace. This museum highlights the culture and heritage of Rajasthan through its extensive collection of excavated item inscriptions, sculptures, paintings and handicrafts. The inscriptions exhibited at the museum range from those of 2nd century BC to 17th century AD The antiquities of the plastic art of Mewar add to the attraction. The sculpture gallery, spread over a big hall, contain some unique and valuable specimens-Indriya Matrika from Jagat (5th-6th century A.D.); Kumari-Matrikafrom Kumbhalgarh;Shiva head from Kalyanpur; Jain Kuber from Bansi (8th Century A.D.).Inscriptions exhibited at the museum date back to as early as 200 BC The most remarkable collection is that of more than nine thousand miniature paintings of Mewar school from the period of Maharaja Jagat Singh (1628-1652 A.D.) to Maharaja Swaroop Singh (1842-1861 AD).It has a Natural History section called the Children Gallery which has models of animals like tiger, deer, etc. The museum also has a collection of colourful Mewari turbans.

Shilpgram
It is located on Fateh Sagar,6kms from the City Palace. A village has been created with 26 replica huts. This museum has a wide collection of folk art and it also gives a glimpse of the tribal life of Rajasthan.