The City Palace Museum, Udaipur

aditi.rakhe — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 13:28:43 +0000

The City Palace Museum, Udaipur aditi.rakhe Wed, 09/23/2020 - 18:58

Museum Address

The City Palace Museum, The City Palace

City

Udaipur

State

Rajasthan

Pin Code

313001

mmcf@eternalmewar.in

Phone Number

+91 294 2419021-9

Museum website

https://citypalacemuseum.org/

Are there any docents or guides who visitors can directly call to book for a guided tour?

Yes

When was the museum established?

1969

Main category

Multi - Purpose

Other categories

Palace Museum

Briefly describe the history of the museum, its collection and donors.

The City Palace Museum, Udaipur is housed within the very iconic, 450 year old Palace, the former abode of the rulers of Mewar. It was formally declared as a Museum open to the public in 1969 through the efforts of Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar of Udaipur (r. 1955-1984 CE). The purpose was to ensure the safekeeping of the rich heritage of the land, and honour of its people, in a post-Independence scenario.

The Mardana Mahal and Zenana Mahal of The City Palace, Udaipur was bequeathed to the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF), a trust established by the Maharana himself. With it, he also provided a major endowment for the cause. Thus, The City Palace Museum, Udaipur came into being. Fifty years hence; The City Palace Museum has grown significantly and continues to draw visitors in increasing numbers from all across the globe.

It is home to a remarkable collection of objects, including paintings on cloth and paper, historic photographs, sculptures, textiles, silver, and arms and armour; created between the sixth century and the present day, with the extraordinary collection shedding light on the living heritage of Mewar as also the local, regional, and international exchanges in the realms of art, architecture, religion, and culture.

Walking through the Museum

One enters the City Palace through the Badi Pol and Tripolia Pol. After crossing the Manek Chowk, the visitor is greeted with paintings recounting the Battle of Haldighati. A highlight of the collection is the armour worn by Maharana Pratap during battles.

Visitors then proceed to the Mardana section where several rooms are adorned with Mewar paintings and display special artwork such as opaque glasses in the Moti Mahal, peacock shaped glasswork and tiles in the Mor chowk and blue tiles in the Chini Chitrashala. Installations in the Mardana provide a glimpse of the lifestyle of the rulers as they resided in the palace apartments.

One then proceeds to the Zenana complex which houses the museum’s artefacts. The sculpture gallery displays temple slabs and figures of gods and goddesses from the 7th to the 17th century. The Symphony of Mewar shows musical instruments from the collection of the House of Mewar. The Jas Prakash gallery details the various phases of the development of the city palace through models and videos. The paintings made by the artists of the Mewar school are found in the Bhagwat Prakash gallery.

Flanking the courtyards are the textile and palanquin galleries showcasing traditional royal garments such as Ghagra-Choli, Angarakha and Choga as well as wooden palakis used by the rulers; covered with embroidered curtains for women and open carry-chairs such as Tam-Jaams and Takhats for men. One ends in the silver gallery which showcases the silver collection of the Mewar rulers.

The Museum attempts to make each visit memorable for everybody. It has provisions for enhanced accessibility such as wheelchair facility, accessible toilet, and lift, ramps, side-railings, child-care room, drinking water, seating etc. For queries, there are Information desks. Several workshops, seminars, talks, tours, walkthroughs, trails etc. are organized in the physical and digital space. Library service is available at a nominal fee. The Museum also has well-equipped Conservation Laboratories that is occasionally used as a learning resource by students.

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

Museum shop

Wheelchair friendly

Yes

Restroom

Yes

Drinking water

Yes

Locker room

Yes

Parking

Yes

Information in Braille

Yes

Workshops/seminars/lectures

Yes

Garden/picnic area

Yes

Audio/visual guides

Yes

Guided tours

Yes

Library and archives services

Yes

IT facilities ( Photocopying, printing, computer )

Any other facilities

Electric Car (on chargeable basis) , Accessible Lift (for differently abled), Accessible Toilet, Child-Care Room, Wheelchair

Auditorium

Conference/ Seminar hall

Yes

Museum membership

Conservation lab

Yes

Who manages the museum?

Non-profit Organization

Person-in-charge of the museum

Chairman

First Name

Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar of Udaipur

Additional information ( if any)

The Silver Gallery at the Museum is the first gallery in the country to be exclusively dedicated to Silver.

Reference Link

https://citypalacemuseum.org/

What is the average duration to see the museum?

1-2 hours

Is the museum currently closed?

Image for museum exterior/building

Gallery Images

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Visitors at Mor Chowk | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

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Students at the conservation laboratory | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

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Silver Howdah | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

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Bhopal Vilas | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

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Bheem Vilas | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

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Buggy | Image Source: The City Palace Museum

Any other service

Archives

Entry Fee

Applicable

Entry fee information

Adults: Rs. 300
Children between ages of 5 years and 18 years, Students with ID cards and Teachers with Student Group: Rs. 100 (ID proof required)
Children below 5 years: Free
Concessions are available for persons from the military, differently-abled, and senior citizens (ID proof required)

Getting there

Rail- Udaipur Railway Station
Road- Bus/Private vehicle/ cab – landmark: Jagdish Chowk
Air- Maharana Pratap Airport, Dabok

Opening Days

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Public holidays

Opening Time

09:30 a.m.

Closing Time

05:30 p.m.

Other Information

Ticket sales close at 4.45pm

The best time of the day to visit the museum?

Early morning, during opening hours, for the best time and least crowded visit. The Museum receives major footfall on festive and national holidays.

Interesting things about the Museum

1. The Palace is an architectural marvel that fuses together several styles and was built over a period of 450+ years in traditional Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles. The Baadi Mahal, for example, consists of pillared courtyards surrounding a Mughal garden built in the chaharbagh style. On one end of this area is a baradari with a marble tank and fountain. The palace is embellished with chattris and jharokhas overlooking the old city and lake Pichola.
The palace is located on a hill, is surrounded by the lush green Aravalli ranges, and has the pristine Lake Pichola in its precincts.
2. It was one of the first palaces to be converted into a Museum, open to the public, and is one of the largest in India in terms of its size
3. Amongst the several interesting pieces that form a part of the collection, the arms and armour of the legendary Rajput warrior king, Maharana Pratap Singh is a prime attraction for visitors.
4. It is a Living Museum; the traditions are kept alive, and are celebrated with the same gusto as they were in around the 16th century or so. Several objects from the Museum transform into objects of ritual or tradition, as part of the celebrations. The crafts, skills, and families associated with the Palace have been retained and encouraged to grow in their respective fields.
5. An exhibition, 'Portraying the City Palace Museum, Udaipur through brush and lens' in the Fateh Niwas Gallery shows the photographic journey of the Mewar rulers with 50 watercolors mounted alongside their photographic counterparts.
6. The silver objects housed in the silver gallery are used for the celebration of festivals by the Mewar royal family. For instance, the Ram Rewari is a portable shrine which is used in the festivities of the Jal-Zoolni Ekadashi.

Seating facilities

Yes

Elderly friendly

Yes

a. Building

Great

b. Gallery

Great

Name of Museum Surveyor

Chelsea Santos (The City Palace Museum), Shreya Gupta

Verified

Yes