Udaipur-Museums

City Palace Museum

City Palace Museum has a remarkable collection of ancient sculptures, curios, antiques and inscriptions of the bygone era. Located inside the complex of City Palace, this museum is also known as Pratap Museum. As you enter the City Palace, the straight way will take you to this museum of artifacts. The entrance gate of the City Museum is known as Ganesh Deori, which means "Door of Lord Ganesha".

On entering the door, you will find yourself in a courtyard, which is identified as Rajya Angan (The Royal Courtyard). This is the exact place where Maharana Udai Singh was asked to construct a city by a sage. After crossing the courtyard, you will find the armory museum that exhibits a vast collection of protective gear, weapons including the fatal two-pronged sword. Pratap Museum houses the armor of the chivalrous Maharana Pratap. You can trace the drums and bugles of Rana Sanga too.

The museum has priceless possessions of the former age like antique paintings of Mewar and detailed Rajasthani art. Here, you will find an unusual assortment of coins, sculptures, inscriptions, portraits and wall-paintings. In fact, the museum is divided into several pavilions and halls. Every pavilion has a distinct theme of its own. 'Zenana Mahal' is the main place where you can see arms and armor, paintings and photographs, majestic insignia, processional accouterments and various other objects that reveals the royal legacy and conventions of the Maharanas of Mewar and Sisodia. The museum is a perfect destination to trace the relics of the bygone era.

Vintage Collection of Classic Car Museum

The collection within the grounds of the Garden Hotel comprises a variety of classic and interestingly rare transportation vehicles; some stately and vintage like Cadalec, Chevalate, Morais etc., while the others are sleek and fast.

The Maharanas of Udaipur once possessed and used these regal splendours of automobiles as their luxuries but most of the other models are gradually being added to the collection ,since it provides a unique aristocratic safari for the exclusive guests.

BHARTIYA LOK KALA MANDAL

Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum is one of the most famous museums of Udaipur, exhibiting the brilliant collection of folk articles of Rajasthan. This rare compilation varies from typical rural-dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments, folk deities and paintings. The museum is comfortably located in the building of Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal near Chetak Circle in Udaipur city.

Mewar region of Rajasthan is known for its rich art and culture. Actually, the local handicrafts and things of art of this region have always been cherished all over the world. With the intention to maintain this rich tradition, Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal took the initiative, to start an institution, to encourage the local arts and crafts of Mewar. Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum is a part of their program that displays the best art and craft of Mewar.

The museum portrays the remarkable collection of over past 44 years, gathered by the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal. To provide a summarized idea of the folk heritage of India, traditional attires, ornaments, miniature paintings and many other art objects are displayed here. Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum of Udaipur definitely requires a visit to closely observe the artistic and culturally rich region of Rajasthan.

Shilpgram Museum

Literally meaning a "Craftsmen's Village" is a living ethnographic museum depicting the enormous diversities in craft, art & culture between various Indian states, but the exquisite terracotta work mainly in dark red and dark brown sand material along with the wooden carvings are the forte of this ethnic village . Shilpgram comprises 26 huts set in 70 acres of natural surroundings at the foot of the Aravali Hills.A colourful craft festival during winter seasons to the whole set up induces viatanity and zeal.

Situated 3 kms west of Udaipur near the Havala village is the Centre's Shilpgram - the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex. Spread over an undulating terrain of 130 bighas (70 Acres) of land and surrounded by the Aravallies, the Rural Arts and Crafts Complex is conceived as a living enthnographic museum to depict the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the West Zone. Within this complex, huts of the member states are constructed incorporating traditional architectural features of different geographical and ethnic groups residing within the West Zone of India comprising of five Federal States.

AHAR MUSEUM

The Ahar Museum, Udaipur is named after the beautiful city Ahar, where this museum is located. Ahar is the capital of Sisodias and is about 3 Kms away from Udaipur, in Rajasthan. There are various types of iron objects and also a wide variety of other objects of art forms in the magnificent Ahar Museum. These objects are around 5000 years old. Earthen Pots are among the rare collection of antiquities in Ahar Museum.

The architectural pieces stored in the museum are extremely old, as a matter of fact some of the pieces date back to 1700 BC. One of the major attractions and an eye catcher is a Buddha statue, which is a 10th century figure made out of metal.

There are a huge number of cenotaphs in Ahar Museum in Udaipur, India. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of the great Maharanas which are cremated there. Among all the cenotaphs in Ahar Museum, Rajasthan, one of the most striking cenotaphs is that of Maharana Amar Singh, who ruled during the period 1597 to 1620.

Source:udaipur.nic.in