Dogra Art Museum Home > Jammu And Kashmir > Attractions > Museums > Dogra Art Museum

Dogra Art Museum

Dogra Art Museum is a famous art repository located in Jammu at the Pink Hall of the famous Complex of Mubarak Mandi. This historic gallery showcases over 800 rare paintings and articles of historical significance. There are different galleries, where paintings from the schools of Basholi, Jammu and Kangra have been displayed. The bow and arrow which are painted in gold which belongs to Shahjahan, the Mughal Emperor is there at the Museum. Some carpentry tools are also there along with those bow and arrow. The handwritten Persian manuscripts of Sikandernama and Shahnama and the infamous Krishna-Sudama paintings of 18th century are strikingly mesmerizing. Accessible easily by tourist’s buses, it is a nice Museum which draws attention of the history and art lovers.

Museum of Art and History

Dogra Art Museum which is in Jammu was earlier known as Dogra Art Gallery. It was inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the President of India on 18th April, 1954 at Gandhi Bhawan, Jammu. This gallery was renovated to a complete multipurpose Museum and shifted in 1991 to its present building located in the Mubarak Mandi complex, Old Secretariat, Jammu which is currently known as Pink Hall. Dogra Art Museum, houses the treasure of Dogra Cultural heritage. The Museum is famous world wide for its collection of miniature paintings especially paintings from Basholi. 

The other collections of this Museum are Terracotta heads from Akhnoor, Numismatics, Sculptures, manuscripts, jewelleries, dogra costumes, metal objects and decorative art. The beautifully decorated marble jharokhas with inlay work of semi precious stones in the marble hall further prettifies the charm of the Museum collection. The coins, musical instruments, mineral stones, fossils, arms such as swords, guns, pistols, revolvers and daggers, the section of armor of the 18th century such as breast, chains and arm plates plus helmets are also there in the Museum. The Dogra Museum prominently displays the martial tradition of Dogra Kings and also the Dogra Architecture.

Attractions

Mubarak Mandi Palace

This Palace complex is having a history of more than 150 years. The previous Dogra Kings resided in the Mubarak Mandi Palace. An amazing architecture, blended with Baroque, Rajasthani, Mughal and European styles, magnetizes the tourists invariantly to this spot.

This complex is surrounded by a striking courtyard and an amazing garden. It was the venue for many important proceedings involving common people and royal audience. The palace site has a magnificent view of Tawi River and old city built on a small hill. At present, Mubarak Mandi Palace is a valuable monument in terms of archeology and history and it comprises many government offices and courts.

On Display

The Mubarak Mandi complex is grouped around several patios and includes various buildings and palaces like the Pink Palace, Rani Charak Palace, Gol Ghar Complex, the Darbar Hall Complex, Royal Courts buildings, Nawa Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, the Toshakhana palace and the Hawa Mahal. In this Mubarak Mandi Palace, there is the Dogra Museum.

In this Dogra Museum, the fascinating collection comprises the miniature paintings from Basholi which are definitely priceless. They are not just a pleasure to the eye but also provide valuable insight into the way of living of the people. It also includes various artifacts which are interesting and appealing. They include terracotta figures, heads of terracotta figures and superfine sculptures of the 16th century.

Among the other valuable belongings, the bow and arrow painted in gold of Shahjahan, the Mughal Emperor, is worth watch. Valuable manuscripts of Persia which were handwritten by Sikandarnama and Shahnama are also there in the Museum.

Sheesh Mahal & Bahu Fort

The major attraction of the Mubarak Mandi Palace is the Sheesh Mahal. It is entirely made up of glass. Bahu Fort is located on the left bank of Tawi River and is nearly 5 kms away from the central part of the city. In Jammu it is the oldest Fort. It was built by Raja Bahulochan about 3,000 years ago and was later renovated by the Dogra Kings. The incredibly beautiful waterfalls, mesmerizing blooming flowers and the dazzling terraced gardens inside this fort creates a beautiful aura in the fort.

Ranbireshwar Temple 

It is nearly 1.5 kms away from Dogra Art Museum and it takes only 4 mins to reach there. This temple was ordered to be built in the 19th century by Maharaja Ranbir Singh who was one of the ancestors of Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is flocked with visitors throughout the year.

How to Reach

By Road

Jammu is well connected to many neighboring cities through private tourist buses including Shimla, Manali, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ambala and Delhi. The distance of Delhi to Jammu is nearly 684 kms.

By Air

Many major airports in the country, including Delhi, Srinagar and Leh are well connected with the Jammu airport. There are regular flights provided by almost all air service operators from Jammu to these cities.

By Rail

Jammu Tawi is the main railway station in Jammu and it is well connected to all major cities in India.

Visitor Information

In summers, the Museum is open for the visitors from 8 AM to 1.30 PM. In winters, it is open from 10.30 AM to 4.30 PM. On Mondays, it remains closed. It will require only 4 to 5 hours exploring the entire Mubarak Mandi Palace and the Art Museum and you will get spare time to visit the other nearby places.

Related Image

Related Topics

Parihaspora Pattan

ParihasporaPattan Monastery is an ancient Buddhist monastery in Jammu & Kashmir, which is a mirror of the prevalent....

Museums

For an extremely long period of epoch till today, The state of Jand K has remained as a centre of cultural and social....

Monasteries

The Cultures and Topography of the st...

Srinagar Hill Station

Srinagar is also known as the city of...