Rajasthan is the royal state dotted with many massive forts, palaces and temples, which are popular for their architecture and design. The vast network of Museums in Rajasthan form the most popular archaeological sites, and the recently opened museums and art galleries in the palaces of former rulers of old states help to preserve this great heritage of the state of Rajasthan.
Among the most known museums in Rajasthan is the Ajmer Government Museum.
The city of Ajmer is home to many forts and tombs depicting the Mughal architecture, especially the inscriptions on the memorials are of immense historic interest. This Museum in Rajasthan is situated in the heart of the old city of Ajmer and close to the railway station. The museum is housed in the beautiful fort and palace built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1570. It was here that the British envoy Sir Thomas Roe met Emperor Jahangir in 1616. After British occupation in 1818 and during the first war of Independence in 1857 it was used as the Rajputana Arsenal by the British, which gave the name magazine. The Archaeological museum in Ajmer, is one of the known museums in Rajasthan.This museum is located in the Dil-e-Aaram Gardens. In July 1949 the entire collection was transferred to Dil-e-Aaram Garden, a part of the old palace at Amer. An Art Gallery was inaugurated in 1992 in this complex. An important fact about this museum is that it is divided into three sections.
The Fateh Prakash Palace museum in Chittaurgarh is one big portion of the Palace, which was converted into a museum in 1968. It has a great collection of sculptures. Amongst the important ones are Ganpati from Pangarh along with Indra and Jain Ambica statues from Rashmi village of Podt medieval period. Inside this museum in Rajasthan many weapons, daggers, and armory are displayed.
The city of Bikaner is also dotted with museums like the Fort Museum of Junagarh Fort. This Fort museum in Bikaner contains a fine collection of antique Rajput, weaponry, jade handle daggers, camel hide and inlaid handguns and camel guns. Cold and silver howdahs, jhulas, kis, and a First World War biplane are on view. Other important objects include a pair of drums belonging to jamblioji, the saint who predicted the foundation of the dynasty by Rao Bika for 450 years. Photographs and items of personal use by Maharaja Ganga Singh and miniatures are also on view.
Another museum in Rajasthan is the Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, which adds much more to the heritage of Rajasthan.This museum in Bikaner has some principal sections like the Maharaja Ganga Singh Memorial, local Arts and Crafts section, History, Sculpture, Terra-cotta and Bronzes Armory, Miniature Paintings and Folk-Arts section.
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