Location : On The Banks Of River Musi,
Hyderabad
Entry Fee : 10/- for Indians Rs. 150/- for Foreigners
Timing : 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Photography : Permission
Popular As : Largest One-Man Collections Of The World
Exhibits : Mughal Miniatures, European Paintings &
sculptures, Chinese Porcelain, Japanese Silk Paintings, Carpets,
Clocks, rare manuscripts, jade and ivory works etc.
Location of Salarjung Museum :
Salar Jung Museum is situated on the southern bank of the river
Musi. It is not far from the other important monuments of the old
city. The historic Charminar, Jama Masjid, High Court, State Central
Library and the Osmania General Hospital are all within a radius of
one mile from the Salar Jung Museum.
About Salarjung Museum :
Hyderabad's Salarjung Museum, the third largest museum in India is
one of the largest one-man-collections in the world. The Prime
Minister of India, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru had declared open the
entire collection of SalarJung to the public on December 16,
1951.The collection was shifted to its present building in 1968.
This museum houses magnificent exhibits of European and Indian
paintings and statuary.
Mir Yusuf Ali Khan, popularly known as Salar Jung III (1889-1949)
served as Prime Minister to Nizam 1912, at the age of 23, but
resigned two and a half years later. Thereafter he dedicated his
whole life collecting antiques and art, which were the only passions
of his lonely life. He spent considerable portion of his wealth for
collecting them. It is believed that he spent a substantial amount
of his income over thirty five years to make this priceless
collection, his life's passion. Though Salar Jung III is credited
with these fantastic collections, it all started with his father and
grandfather. This museum is well known throughout India for its
prized collections. In the year 1961 it was declared to be an "Institution
of National Importance" by an Act of Parliament, known as the
Salar Jung Museum Act, 1961. It was originally housed in Diwan
Devdi.
The Salarjung Museum Collection :
Salarjung Museum is one of the much lauded tourist attractions of
Hyderabad City and it is full of many interesting objects. It is a
royal treat to the connoisseurs with a collection of over 43000 art
objects, 9000 manuscripts and 47000 printed books.
The collections include Indian Art, Middle Eastern Art, Far Eastern
Art, European Art, Children Art along with a Founders gallery and a
rare manuscript section. Indian Art includes stone sculptures,
bronze images, jade carvings, painted textiles, wood carvings,
miniature paintings, modern art, ivory carvings, textiles,
metal-ware, manuscript, arms & armour etc. Middle Eastern Art
contains the collection of carpets, paper (manuscripts), glass,
metal-ware, furniture, lacquer etc. from Persia, Arabia, Syria, and
Egypt. Collection of Far Eastern Art exhibit porcelain, bronze,
enamel, lacquerware, embroidery, painting, wood & inlay work
from China, Japan, Tibet, Nepal and Thailand etc. Oil and watercolor
paintings form an important part of the European Collection.
The museum exhibits objects of art like Chinese Porcelain,
Aurangazeb's Sword, and Daggers belonging to Queen Noor Jehan,
Emperor Jahangir and Shah Jahan, Sculpture, Indian paintings &
Persian carpets. Some of the highlights are the Veiled Rebecca, the
translucent white marble statue by Bezoni, and the Arms section.
There are 38 galleries in the Museum spread on two floors. The
ground floor has 20 galleries, and the first floor has 18 galleries.
Even then, the total exhibited art objects constitute a little over
25% of the entire collection.
The present building has many co-ordinating sections such as the
Education Wing, Chemical Conservation Laboratory, Photo section,
display section, Reception and a Sales counter. It has a caretaker
section and is equipped with a separate security Wing to safeguard
the art collection round the clock.
The Clock Room :
Don't miss out on the 19th Century British Musical Clock. It is one
of the best galleries with a collection of more than 300 clocks. The
major attraction of this museum is a musical clock, which was sold
by Cook and Kelvy of England. It is a mechanical wonder, a toy
figure of a watchman who pushes open the door, emerges hour after
hour in a great hurry to beat the melodious gong that indicates
time. Other highlights in the museum include the "veiled
Rebecca", "Mestophiles" and "the Lady with the
lamp".
Facilities to Scholars :
Scholars facilities are also availabe in this museum. It is a rich
collection of printed books covering various subjects and also a
rich collection of thousands of manuscripts in Persian, Arabic and
Urdu languages. Scholars are permitted to use the library on request
by obtaining passes.
If you are visiting Hyderabad, it will be truly incomplete if you
do not visit this simple building on the banks of Musi river. The
Museum attracts nearly ten lakh visitors annually.
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