Home >> Heritage Tours >> Museums >> Pratap Singh Museum

Type: Multi Purpose
Year of Establishment: 1898
Holidays: Monday and other Gazetted Holidays
Visiting Hours: Summer: 10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.; winter: 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M
Location: Lal Mandi
Display Objects: Archaeological objects, paintings, decorative art, arms, models, Anthropological objects, textiles etc.


The museums of Kashmir showcase the rich historical past of the valley. The main museum of Kashmir is the Sri Pratap Singh Museum. Once the summer palace of the Maharajas of Kashmir, it was later converted into a museum in the year 1898. A major portion of the museum collection, at that point of time, consisted of objects from the Jammu and Kashmir toshkhana. The toshkhana collection of this museum of Kashmir, India includes shawls, paintings, arms and armory, silver images, copper and jade ornaments, copper and brass utensils and Ladkhi handicrafts.

Sri Pratap Singh Museum of Kashmir displays an assortment of more than 200 textiles. The renowned jamawar, spreads, gabbas and rumals, dating back to the Afghan period, from 1752 to 1947, form a part of the textiles collection. One of the most brilliant pieces of the museum collection is a map of Srinagar in needlework, prepared during reign of maharaja Ranjil Singh. Later, it was presented as gift to the Prince of Wales when he visited Kashmir. In the later years, this map was auctioned in England from where it found its way back to Kashmir. The map depicts topography of Srinagar as it was at that point of time, showing the important buildings, mosques, temples, gardens, rivers, bridges and lakes.

The museum also has a rich collection of archaeological stuff excavated from the Pandrethan, Parashpura and Avantipura sites. The collection of the excavated items includes pottery, terracotta tiles, metal artifacts and stone objects. These objects date back to different time periods, ranging from the 2nd to 12th century AD. Also on display are life-size statues of the Lord Buddha, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, in a chronological order. Sharda, Persian and Arabic stone inscriptions, 2nd century terracotta tiles from Hoinar (Pahalgam) and 3rd century Harwan tiles are the other items on display inside the museum.

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