Government Museum, Udaipur

Museum Address
Government Museum, City Palace Udaipur
City
State
Rajasthan
Pin Code
313001
Email
supam.udaipur@gmail.com
Phone Number
Museum website
http://museumsrajasthan.gov.in/museum/udaipur
When was the museum established?
1890
Main category
Briefly describe the history of the museum, its collection and donors.

In celebration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, a new building in was constructed under the supervision of Maharana Fateh Singh (r. 1884-1930) at the Sajjan Niwas Garden, popularly known as Gulab Bagh in Udaipur. The artefacts collected during the reign of Maharana Sajjan Singh of Mewar (r. 1874- 1884) were displayed in this building which was opened to the public in 1890 as the Victoria Hall Museum. In 1968, the premises were shifted to the Karan Vilas area inside the City Palace and the museum, one of the oldest in Rajasthan, is now known as The Government Museum of Udaipur or the Pratap Museum.

The museum displays a widespread collection of excavated items, inscriptions, sculptures, paintings and handicrafts across galleries such as The Children’s Gallery, The Handicrafts Gallery, The Sculpture Gallery, etc.  The first gallery of the museum, the Children’s Gallery is the natural history section which displays stuffed models of animals such as tigers, kangaroos, monkey, musk deer, etc.  The Handicraft Gallery is a cultural repository of traditional garments such as sarees, handkerchiefs, different styles of turbans as well as household items such as ivory bowls, chess sets, perfume containers etc. A highlight of this display is the turban belonging to Prince Khurram, the future Mughal emperor Shah Jahan which was exchanged with the turban of Maharana Karansingh of Mewar. The other end of the gallery displays arms and armoury from the Mewar region.

The Sculpture Gallery displays figurines such as Indriya Matrika from Lagat (5th - 6th century AD); Kumari Matrika from Kumbhalgam; Shiva's head from Kalyanpur and lain Kuber from Bansi (8th century AD). It is complemented with inscriptions such as the Nandshala inscription excavated from Bhilwara and the Ghosundi inscription from Chittorgarh. The inscriptions exhibited range from those of 2nd century BC to 17th century AD. The museum also displays specimens of plastic art from Mewar. The last gallery of the museum houses the nine thousand miniature paintings of Mewar school from the period of Maharana Lagat Singh (1628 - 1652 AD) to Maharana Swaroop Singh (1842 - 1861 AD) – the largest collection of Mewar art in the world. The paintings illustrate epics such as Mahabharata, Prithviraj Raso and Geet Govind. 

 

This content has been created as part of a project partnered with Royal Rajasthan Foundation, the social impact arm of Rajasthan Royals, to document the cultural heritage of the state of Rajasthan.  

Photography
Yes
Videography
Yes
Cafeteria
No
Museum shop
No
Restroom
Yes
Drinking water
Yes
Locker room
Yes
Parking
Yes
Information in Braille
No
Garden/picnic area
No
Who manages the museum?
State Government
Email
dirarch_raj@rediffmail.com
Person-in-charge of the museum
Curator
First Name
Dr Vineet
Last Name
Godhal
Mobile no.
Reference Link
http://museumsrajasthan.gov.in/museum/udaipur http://www.onlytravelguide.com/rajasthan/historical/museum-udaipur.php https://www.udaipurblog.com/maharanas-of-udaipur.html
What is the average duration to see the museum?
less than 1 hour
Is the museum currently closed?
No
Image for museum exterior/building
Government Museum Compound
Gallery Images
Image
Image title
A canon on display
Image
Image title
Sculpture Gallery
Image
Image title
Turbans on display at the Handicrafts Gallery
Entry Fee
Applicable
Entry fee information
Indian Tourist: 10 Rupees
Indian Student: 5 Rupees
Foreigner Tourist: 50 Rupees
Foreigner Student: 25 Rupees
Entry is free on 30th March: Rajasthan Diwas, 18th April: World Heritage Day, 18th May: World Museum Day and 27th September: World Tourism Day
Getting there
The Government Museum shares its premises with the City Palace Museum, Udaipur. It can therefore be accessed from inside the City Palace Museum. The City Palace can be reached through a car or taxi. Parking is available for the same. The complex is located 2.8 km from the local railway station and 2.5 km from the bus station.
Opening Days
Sunday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Public holidays
Opening Time
09:00 a.m.
Closing Time
05:00 p.m.
Other Information
The museum is closed from 1 pm to3 pm and remains shut for Dulhandi
Interesting things about the Museum
1. Established as the Victoria Hall Museum in 1890, The Government Museum, Udaipur is one of the oldest museums of Rajasthan
2. A highlight of the display at the Handicraft Gallery of the museum is the turban belonging to Prince Khurram, the future Mughal emperor Shah Jahan which was exchanged with the turban of Maharana Karansingh of Mewar.
3. The museum houses the nine thousand miniature paintings of Mewar school from the period of Maharana Lagat Singh (1628 - 1652 AD) to Maharana Swaroop Singh (1842 - 1861 AD) – the largest collection of Mewar art in the world.
Name of Museum Surveyor
Shreya Gupta
Verified
Yes