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Shri Partap Singh Museum A Collabrative Restoration Project of UNESCO & INTACH - J & K Chapter |
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The Museum: Origin & History |
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The Shri Pratap Singh (SPS) Museum was set up arround 1898 AD when a memorandum was submitted to the then Dogra ruler of the Jammu & Kashmir State, Maharaja Pratap Singh, by his younger brother, General Raja Sir Amar Singh, and a European scholar, Captain S.H. Godmerry, proposing the establishment of a museum in Srinagar to house exhibits and artifacts covering the region of Jammu, Kashmir, Baltistan and Gilgit. The museum was set up in a building belonging to the state at Lal Mandi, Srinagar, on the left bank of the river Jhelum. The establishment of the museum was supervised by Sir John Marshal, the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India. The Accountant General of the state, Mr. Blerjee, served as the first head of the institution. Mr. Blerjee was responsible for preparing a catalogue of the various coins kept in the museum. |
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The museum collection initially comprised displays of shawls and armory that were obtained from the Tosh Khana. After the reorganization of the Archaeological Department in 1913 under Rai Bhadur Daya Ram Sahni, artifacts excavated at Panderenthan, Parihaspora and Avantipura were first exhibited in the museum. This rich endowment formed one of the major additions to the museum’s collection. Subsequently, a number of objects, mostly decorative household items, were acquired by the museum from private owners. The museum’s various artifacts have been tentatively dated on the basis of style, period and material, etc.
The collections in the museum fall under the following categories: Numismatics and Manuscripts Miniature Paintings Weapons and Utensils Musical Instruments Furniture and Decorative items Textiles and Carpets Items of Leather, Grass and Willow work Sculptures, Tiles and other artifacts excavated in various parts of Kashmir Natural History, Stuffed Birds and Animals |
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