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Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur Overview
One of the oldest museums of Rajasthan, Albert Hall Museum is situated in Ram Niwas Garden of Jaipur. It was built in the year 1876 as a concert hall that replicated the architecture of Albert Hall Museum and Victoria in London. This museum symbolizes Indo-Saracenic architecture along with giving insights of Indian heritage and its culture. Albert Hall Museum has 16 galleries that showcase an extensive collection of artifacts from all around the globe. The museum shows its real charm after the day fall when it looks extremely beautiful while sparkling with yellow light mounted all over the galleries. One can relax in lush green gardens along with the stunning sight of museum in the backdrop. If you are looking to sneak-peek into Indian history and its ancient culture then Albert Hall Museum must be on your list.
Surrounded by scenic gardens, the foundation of Albert Hall Museum was laid by Albert Edward when he first visited India on 6 February 1876. All of the 16 galleries of the museum have numerous antique materials including marble, coins, art, pottery, and an Egyptian mummy as a treat for history enthusiasts. The building itself is a masterpiece of architecture with carvings and other minimal detailing. Museums domes are constructed from sandstone and intricately carved with perfection which provides an Indo-Saracenic vibe to the overall structure.
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History of Albert Hall Museum
The foundation of this monumental museum was laid in the year 1876 during the visit of Albert Edward to Jaipur. Initially, its constructors were not sure about how the building would be used. But, later in the year 1881 Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II suggested building a temporary museum that will display the art and products of local craftsmen. In about 21 years after the foundation was laid, the construction was completed in the year 1887 by the architect named Samuel Swinton Jacob, who was also the director of Jaipur PWD at the time of completion. And the temporary museum was shifted to a new building along with artifacts preserving a cultural insight of Indian history.
After completion, it became a fine example of craftsmanship and Indo- Saracenic architecture. The corridors of the museum were decorated with a variety of sceneries of Egyptian, European, Greek, Babylonian, and Chinese civilizations for the visitors to sneak into art and history from all around the world. Thus, Albert Hall has become a center of an attraction along with developing and preserving Indian crafts, arts, and architectural forms.
Galleries at Albert Hall Museum
From all the 16 beautiful galleries in the Albert Hall Museum, here are some that showcase the treasures and antiques from the ninetieth century:
- Clay Art Gallery: This gallery holds some of the exquisite models made of clay including sociological themes, yoga postures and crafts from the 19th century.
- Carpet Gallery: As clear from the name, this gallery has some of the unique carpets of the world including the best Persian Garden Carpet which is considered as the best carpets in the world. This carpet was purchased in 1632 A.D, during the rule of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I. It has four parts and also has various sub-sections filled with magnificent colors. Not just carpets, the gallery has a wide range of circular carpets and doormats with floral patterns.
- Jewelry Gallery: In this gallery, you can see some inexpensive but priceless ornaments worn by local peasants. They were not made of gold; ordinary brass and silver were used in making. Ornaments such as rings, bracelets, hairpins, necklaces, and anklets are showcased in this section.
- Coin Gallery: Here you can a wide range of coins used during the Mughal and British period in India. This gallery also has punch-marked coins that are believed to be the first currency. From Babar to Aurangzeb, coins from the period of every Mughal ruler can be seen here.
- Musical Instruments Gallery: If you want to take a closer look at the authentic and antique Indian instruments, then this is the best gallery for sure. It showcases instruments like Hatha, Pungi, Shehnai, Ravan, Dhap, etc.
Apart from the above galleries, Albert Hall Museum has exciting galleries like armor, arms, metal art, garments, marble art, textiles, sculptures, and pottery.
Albert Hall Museum Timings and Entry Fees
Albert Hall Museum is open for 7 days of the week for the visitors from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Ticket categories available for the visitors
- General entry ticket
Indian visitor: INR 40
Overseas visitor: INR 300.
- Composite entry ticket
This ticket has a validity of days and ticket holder can visit all or any of the sites mentioned:
Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall, Isarlat or Sargasooli, Sisodia Rani Garden Vidyadhar Garden.
Indian visitor: INR 300
Overseas visitor: INR 1000
Composite entry tickets can be purchased from the premises of Hawa Mehal, Albert Hall, Amber Fort, and Jantar Mantar. Charges as follows:
Indian visitor: INR 100
Overseas visitor: INR 100
- Night visit entry ticket (7:00 PM to 10:00 PM)
No need to purchase tickets for children below seven years, as their entry is free on the premises. Entry is free on World Museum Day, World Heritage Day, Rajasthan Day, and World Tourism Day for every visitor.
*The above tickets are available at the given price only at the premises.
Photography on the premises
- Allowed
Best Time to Visit
Winters are considered as the best time to wander and explore Jaipur. The season from November to February is the ideal period to visit the stunning architectural forms of the city. Avoid visiting in summers as temperature touches 45 degrees during day time. If you want to experience the real beauty of Albert Hall, the night is the best time to view this stunning architectural building glowing with yellow lights under the night sky.
How to Reach the Albert Hall Museum
The museum is located in Ramniwas Bagh, near Ajmeri Gate, Jaipur. You can hire a cab, taxi or grab auto-rikshaw to reach the destination without any problem. Be careful while booking autos as they can charge you much higher than the normal fare.