Albert Hall Jaipur

Albert Hall Museum Jaipur is a museum situated in Ram Niwas Garden outside the city wall opposite new gate in Jaipur. It is one of the popular places for sightseeing in Jaipur city. It is the oldest museum of the state and functions as the State Museum of Rajasthan.
The Hall was built by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. The foundation stone of Albert Hall was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward to Jaipur in 1876 and it was completed in 1887. The building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and was opened as public museum in 1887. It is also called the Government Central Museum. Maharaja Ram Singh initially wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Niwas Garden.

It is a fine example of Indo-European architecture. The design of the museum is quiet similar to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The museum building includes many archways, towers and courtyards. With its beautifully elaborate domes and carved arches constructed from inlaid sand stone, Albert Hall is an impressive structure. The corridors were decorated with several murals including the Ramayana, reproducing paintings from illustrations in the Persian Razmnama prepared for Emperor Akbar.

This museum houses 19,000 historic objects and has various collections like metal ware, ivory work, lacquer work, jewellery, textiles, pottery carved wooden objects, arms and weapons, clay models, sculptures, educational, scientific and zoological objects, tribal costumes, ceramics, oil and miniature paintings, inlay work, musical instruments, clocks and marble statues. The museum also has an array of rare articles on its display including textiles, carpets, flora and fauna of the state, toys, dolls and even an Egyptian mummy that belongs to the Ptolemaic Epoch. This museum stores the most famous Persian Golden Carpet which was purchased by Raja Jai Singh from Persian King Shah Abbas.

History
The foundation stone of Albert Hall was laid during the visit of the Prince of Wales to Jaipur in the year 1876. Till then, it was not determined what use the hall would be put to. Many suggestions were given to use it for cultural or educational use or as a town hall. In the year 1880, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II approved a suggestion by Dr. Thomas Holbein Hendley, Resident Surgeon to open it as a museum of Industrial Arts in order to display products of the local craftsmen.
Further, a small museum was setup in the year 1881, which turned out to be extremely popular. The reason behind setting it up as a museum was to tell people about the craftsmanship with handicrafts and art work. This not only made their craftsmanship popular, but also inspired them to improve their skills. Also, this made people protect and preserve their art in a proper manner. This provided employment to the artisans. Also, this helped in educating the youth in different fields.
In the year 1887, Albert Hall was completed by the architect Samuel Swinton Jacob, Director of Jaipur PWD. Very soon, Albert Hall Museum became a centre for spreading historical knowledge of civilizations to inspiring artisans. The museum played a key role in improving the skills of the artisans and developing traditional Indian art.

Things to do in Albert Hall Museum
The museum rightfully boasts of 16 galleries within the premises that showcase antiques and heritage artefacts that have, either been gifted or belong to the royal family of Jaipur. It gives travellers a glimpse of the designs that were created by hand by local craftsmen, even replicas of different sculptures.

Egyptian Mummy- The most famous attraction of the museum is the sarcophagus of an Egyptian Mummy. Enclosed in a glass case and preserved for many centuries, it attracts thousands of visitors annually to just take a glimpse of what a mummy looks like. You can also read the process of mummification at this museum.

Pottery- The famous blue pottery of Jaipur can be seen regally displayed in cases in the museum. With absolutely stunning pieces of cutlery and vases, the pottery items are a must visit. Each piece is unique and designed distinctly different from the other. Take a look at the beautiful glazed pottery, terracotta bowls and pots that boast of marked shape and colour. From Rajasthani style designs to Arabic influences, there is a different world stored right here.

Figurines and sculptures- You can also admire the different types of figures and sculptures that line the museum rooms. Each made of clay, metal, silver, brass, copper, bronze, marble, etc. with delicate designs and shapes.

Murals- Take away a bit of history when you leave Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur. The murals that line the hallway and artefact room are completely different from modern art. Each piece is designed differently from the other, depicting various faces of human life and its evolution. Some other interesting artefacts to check at Albert Museum, Jaipur, include a horse puzzle made up of different human faces, large hookah (fit for the king), assortment of guns, daggers, spears and knives, collection of old coins, Quran, different semi-precious stone jewellery, musical instruments, stain glass paintings, wax statues of soldiers, kings, miniature paintings, etc.

Carpets and Textiles- You can take a walk around this section to feast your eyes on the beautiful garments worn by the royals. There was extensive use of lace work, Gota work, Bandish work, Sanganeri print, Kotadorai and other ancient styles of embroidery. You can also acquaint yourself with the different carpet styles and designs from different reigns. Kids can enjoy a live puppet show that is put up every day for the tourists. It gives a little glimpse into the lives of local people and their craft of making puppets. The most interesting aspect of the museum comes during nightfall. The museum is lit up with gorgeous, colourful lights every night which brings out the true beauty of this master edifice. With hues of purple, pink, orange and blue, you can completely soak in the splendidness of Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur.

How to Reach Albert Hall Museum
By Air– Delhi and Mumbai are the two main gateway cities to Rajasthan from international destinations. There are regular flights connecting Delhi and Mumbai to Jaipur and Jodhpur in Rajasthan and also important destinations like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai operated by domestic carriers.

By Train– Daily super fast train connects Mumbai to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Kota. Delhi (the nearest rail head to Jaipur) is also directly connected to Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Shatabdi train operates from New Delhi station to Ajmer via Jaipur. Double decker train is also available between Jaipur and Delhi.

By Road– The Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi has almost a twenty – four hour bus service to Jaipur. Air-conditioned and Volvo bus service of state owned Rajasthan state Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC) to Jaipur is operational from the premises of Bikaner House, Pandara Road.