In a city of many architectural excesses, the Albert Hall Jaipur is possibly the most decorative and visually stunning. The large concert hall was constructed in 1876 for one sole purpose, to ensure Prince Albert of England would visit Jaipur during his tour of the country. This extravagant gesture by the Maharaja guaranteed the prince’s visit and today the Albert Hall Jaipur has been converted into Albert Hall Museum (Central Museum) that displays relics from Jaipur’s history.

The Albert Hall of Jaipur

The main attraction of the Albert Hall Jaipur is the building itself, with its beautifully elaborate Indo - Saracenic inspired domes and carved arches constructed from inlaid sand stone. The museum does have an extensive collection, the largest in Rajasthan, but the lack of details and descriptions, tired displays and jumbled organisation may deter common visitors.

The Albert Hall Jaipur is the focal central point of the Ram Nivas Gardens, which are 1.5km to the south of the city walls. The easiest method to reach the concert hall is by walking but a taxi (40Rs) rickshaw (15Rs) is the quickest means of travel. The Albert Hall Museum is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00 and the entrance fee is Rs150.

There is a better value combined ticket for Rs 350 which includes Amber Fort, Albert Hall, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort and last for 48 hours. An audio guide has been introduced for 80Rs and this does greatly add too many of the exhibits. A typical visit lasts between 30-60 minutes and does greatly depend on your interest on Jaipur’s history. The museum collection includes artifacts from Jaipur’s royalty and tribes with miniature paintings, folk art, costumes and woodcarvings.

The Albert Hall Museum is named in honour of Prince Albert of Britain (Queen Victoria’s husband) and was constructed to entice him to visit Jaipur during his 1876 tour of the Indian subcontinent. It was important for Maharaja Ram Singh to have the prince visit Jaipur as this would strength ties to the British royal court. The other extravagance that the Maharaja performed was ensuring the city was painted pink as a sign of welcoming and this tradition continues through to today.

 

The Albert Hall Jaipur was designed by a British architect, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, who combined India Islamic architecture with neo-gothic that was fashionable in the Victorian era. This style of architecture is referred to as Indo-Saracenic and the Albert Hall Museum is the finest example in Rajasthan. Prince Albert ceremonially laid the first stone of the building to be named after him and the ceremony took place on the 6th of February 1876. The complex was completed 10 years later in the reign of Madho Singh II who decided the Albert Hall Jaipur should be used as a museum instead of a government building as Madho Singh I had planned.

Jaipur India Holiday Travel Guide