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One of the
oldest and the most famous Museum is the Government
Central Museum or Albert museum was constructed under the
supervision of a British Army officer, Lt. Swinton Jacob
in the year 1876. Maharaja Ram Singh, who was then the
king of Jaipur, wanted this building to be used as the
town hall but his successor Madho Singh decided to convert
the building to an art museum.
It is
located in the Ramnivas Gardens and is the oldest museum
in Jaipur. The Central Museum not only houses many
rarities and beautiful objects but its own building is
also a sight to behold. The Museum is in the Albert Hall
and is inspired by the Indo-Sarcenic style of
architecture, which uses the best features of both styles
of building. It has many pillars, courtyards and arches
that give it a very traditional yet elegant look.
The upper
floor/level of the Museum mainly has portraits of royalty
and Jaipur Maharajas. That does not in the least mean that
the museum only showcases the royal and imperial relics,
but it represent "all of Jaipur". It has an extensive
collection of jewelry, metalwork and sculpture. There are
also many objects made of brass, which display the skills
of the expert hands that have hammered and chiseled them
to perfection.
The Central
Museum also has a huge collection of miniature paintings
from the Udaipur, Jaipur, Bundi, Kota and Kishangarh
schools of painting. There are also fine specimens of
woodwork, metal objects and other arts & crafts. One can
also see the old traditional ceremonial dresses of the
Kings and the royal families besides a whole lot of
pottery objects, painting and sculptures.
If you
happen to be in Jaipur, do take a tour to the Central
Museum, which is open from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm and enjoy
the opportunity to be able to admire the antiques and the
rarities of the royal past, which are bound to give you a
better insight into the rich past of India.
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