To have an idea of the history, culture and heritage of Rajasthan, one must visit the museums of Jodhpur. The museums of Jodhpur present you with a galore of artifacts, which can transport you to the era of royalty. The museums display numerous artifacts of Rajasthani arts and crafts. A visit to the museums of Jodhpur in Rajasthan is quite an enriching and educative experience.
There are mainly three museums in Jodhpur that are worth many visits. These are the Mehrangarh Fort Museum, the Umaid Bhavan Palace Museum and the Government Museum, Jodhpur.
The Mehrangarh Fort Museum is one of the finest museums of India. It houses articles like arms, costumes and paintings, which form an integral part of the heritage of Rathods.
The foremost attraction of this museum is its palanquin section. The palanquins were the popular means of commuting for royal ladies of yesteryears. Pinjas, a kind of covered palanquins, were the most exquisite pieces of craftsmanship. This collection includes the domed gilt Mahadol palanquin, which was won from the Governor of Gujarat in 1730. The Rajat Khasa was yet another beautiful lotus shaped silver palanquin used by Maharajas.
Another fascinating section in the museum contains elephant howdahs. These are wooden seats, mostly roofed with gold and silver embossed sheets. These seats were used to ride on the elephant back.
Daulat Khana is the well preserved collection of the fine and applied art of the Mughal period. This section displays the articles of the Rathod rulers of Jodhpur who maintained a link with the Mughal emperors. The weapon gallery of the museum houses a rare collection of armory of Jodhpur. This section displays sword with jade studded hilts, rhino horn, ivory articles, shields studded with rubies, emerald and pearls. It also has guns with gold and silver work on barrels and the butt.
The finest of works of the Marwar Jodhpur paintings can be seen in the paintings section of the museum. The most colourful of the sections is the turban gallery. Turban is an integral part of traditional Marawari wear. The gallery displays these head gears in their most colourful and fascinating forms. Then there is the folk musical instruments gallery, which has various musical instruments on display. The cradle gallery has an electric powered cradle, made for the present Maharaja.
The Government Museum, Jodhpur, stands in the middle of the Umaid Public Gardens. The garden and the museum building were developed during the time of Maharaja Umaid Singh. The museum is very well maintained. This museum has a rich collection of weaponry, textiles, miniature portraits of various schools, local crafts and splendid images of Jain Tirthankars.
Another famous museum of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhavan Palace Museum. Maharaja Umaid Singh, who built this palace, was very fascinated by the western lifestyle and architecture. He commissioned the renowned Edwardian architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester to build this palace, a part of which houses the museum. This museum is also well maintained and has a wide range of artifacts that are belongings of the royal family. This museum showcases antiques like stuffed leopard, various trophies and fascinating crockery. This museum has a huge banner that was presented by Queen Victoria, and a collection of fascinating antique clocks.
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 Heritage Tours of Jaipur |
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Museums of Jaipur |
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Excursions from Jaipur |
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Religious Tours of Jaipur |
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Gardens of Jaipur |
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