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.

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. A small selection of paintings, manuscripts, maps, carpets, textiles, costumes, weapons and armours was displayed in the Pothikhana and the Silehkhana or armoury of the palace.

A variety of objects-miniature paintings, illustrated manuscripts, decorated bookcovers, palm-leaf and Sanchipat manuscripts, old printed books, gigantic Mughal carpets, gold and silver Takhis-Rawan (movable throne), covered Ambabadis and open Howdahs, palanquins and carriages with richly embroidered velvet coverings are displayed in this gallery. There are rare bird and animal studies by Ustad Mansur, court scenes, battle scenes, portraits and mythological paintings by famous Mughal painters.

A very rare gold brocaded velvet throne carpet bearing seal marks and notes dating back to 1605 A.D., two richly embroidered window curtains belonging to the mid-seventeenth century and a finely woven gold and silk circular Thal-Posh (dish cover) also belonging to the seventeenth century are worthy of mention.

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.

Prev