Albert Hall Jaipur
¤ Albert Hall (Central Museum)
Location :Central Museum or
the Albert Hall lies in the Ram Niwas Garden. It is a vast and verdant
garden housing a zoo, a greenhouse, an aviary, a museum and a sports
ground. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II built it in 1868 as a relief
project for his famine struck subjects. The zoo has a very depressing
atmosphere as badly nourished bird and animals have to survive here in
their artificial homes with no sympathy or medical care.
¤ Indo-Saracenic Style of
Architecture
The Albert Hall has been modelled on the Victoria and Albert Museum in
London and is afine exampleof Indo-Saracenic style of architecture.
The hall was named after Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria’s
husband. Albert’s son the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) laid
the foundation stone in 1876. It was designed and devised by Colonel
Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob (1841-1917).
¤ Museum
The Albert Hall has been converted into the Central Museum which
proudly displays Rajasthan’s art and culture and outlines the
Rajput morality with these lines: "A Rajput puts his life at risk
if he is forced to abjure his faith, if he is deprived of his lands,
and if his womenfolk are molested." It now houses an exquisite
collection of metalware, decorative wares,iniature portraits,
sculptures, paintings,natural history specimen, an Egyptian mummyamong
various other objet d’ art. Rajasthani village life is also
displayed through costumes, pottery, brassware and woodwork. The
Durbar Hall, usually locked, houses several stunning carpets including
the magnificent Persian Garden Carpet, one of India’s finest art
treasures. It was made in Kerman, Persia in 1632 and represented the
garden of paradise based on a quadrangular design.
¤ The Garden of Paradise
The garden of paradise has come alive with fish, birds, animals and
trees. Sculptures worth research include a tiny turbanned lady of the
2nd century BC, a stone Shiva head of the 8th century and 18th century
wooden figures from a chariot of the former Banswara state. The museum
also has some melancholic specimens on display like a horse skeleton,
a human skeleton, and a stuffed cobra. Sometime back the Ravindra
Manch with an auditorium, a modern gallery and an open-air theatre has
been added to the museum to promote cultural events.
Visiting Hours : 0930-1630
Hrs. , Entry on Monday and closed on Fridays |
