Agra Museum is a city very rich in architectural grandeur of Uttar pradesh. It has some institutes that aim at preserving the heritage of Agra. Much different from the other popular museums, the Spiritual Museum has a very different concept.
The Spiritual Museum is still in its initial stage of growth. This museum is for the recently established movement, which is called 'Brahma Kumaris'. The members of this movement are all religiously inclined people. They prophesy the self recognition of the bigger truths of life. The main concern of the 'Brahma Kumaris' is to have the realization that God is their Father.
The museum puts up various shapes, forms and colors. Through this they try to elucidate the different physical going on in the world.
With the world famous Taj Mahal near-by, the Spiritual Museum is flooded with tourists almost all the year. The visitors to the museum mainly constitute of people having interest in spirituality. Some people come to visit the Spiritual Museum out of curiosity. Apart than them, general tourists also come to visit the Spiritual Museum.
It will be an awesome divine journey for all the people coming to visit the Spiritual Museum, an adventure of a special nature. It is a must-see tourist spot for the visitors to Agra.
TAJ MUSEUM
The origin of Taj Museum goes back to 1906 when it was established at the instance of Lord Curzon (Viceroy of India 1899 to 1905 A.D.) in two hexagonal rooms on the west side of main entrance gateway to the Taj Mahal. Further, Khan Bahadur Maulvi Zafar Hussan, Honorary Curator and Superintendent, Archaeological Survey, Northern Circle, Agra made valuable efforts to develop this Museum.
The exhibits of the Museum at that time include old plans of Agra Fort and Taj Mahal, samples of the stone and tools used in inlay work, old photographs of the Taj Mahal, a few coloured drawings, Farmans (Royal orders), Sanads (land records), articles discovered during excavations in Agra Fort, specimens of precious stone used in the Taj and an album of old photographs of the Taj Mahal.
Now Taj Museum is housed in the Western Jal Mahal which is a part of the Taj Mahal complex. It is a double storied building having a quadrangle projection outside in the center of the middle of western wall and is built on a raised platform. The ground floor housed the museum whereas upper storey is utilized as office. The full growing museum galleries are upgraded accordingly with a view to highlight each subject.
The Museum comprises of three galleries in addition to the Main Hall and has displayed various exhibits relating mostly to the construction of Taj Mahal and to the Mughal period. The antiquities broadly categorized as Mughal Miniature paintings, manuscripts, government decrees, specimen of calligraphy (style of writing the Quranic verses), arms, utensils, plans, and drawings of Taj complex, paintings, inlay works, two marble pillars from Agra Fort are on display in this Museum.
Main Hall
An interesting manuscript of Chehel Majlis dated to 1612 A.D. bearing the signature of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658 A.D.) under the Royal Mughal Seal dated 4th February 1628 and many other are displayed in this gallery. Important Royal farmans and documents, two paintings of Taj Mahal by British artist Daniel sketched in the year 1795 A.D. are put on display. An interesting order of General Perron of the period of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II recording the details of the auction of fruits in the garden of the mausoleum of Tajganj is also displayed.The Royal Farmans of Shah Jahan about registering a grant of land in various villages and confirming a grant of hereditary land to Shaikh Hatim is also put on show in the gallery.
Photocopies of Shah Jahan's Farmans dated A.H.1042 (August A.D. 1632) addressed to Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur (Rajasthan) to ensure regular supply of the Makrana marble etc. (Makrana Tehsil, District Naguar, State Rajasthan) required in the construction of the imperial building, Taj Mahal are also exhibited in the gallery and a world map showing the places from where various type of stones were imported for inlay work of Taj Mahal along with specimens of these semi precious stones are also on display.
