One of the most popular hill station in the desert of Rajasthan - Mount Abu has been the hub of cultural activities since pre-historic times. One of the major attractions that this hill station possesses is Mount Abu Archaeological Museum apart from its captivating beauty and pleasant weather.

This magnum opus was set up in the premises of famous Raj Bhawan in 1962 for preserving the archaeological chattels and wealth of the state. This museum allows visitors to have a profound insight into the culture, traditions and history of the place. It is a place which is so amazing that it would enchant even those people who do not have any inclination or interest in the scintillating history and art of Mount Abu. Moreover, it is located at a wonderful location which gives a panoramic and picturesque view of the entire city.

This museum or the magnificent marvel of art is a placid storehouse of several historic artefacts which hail from the epoch of Raj puts. Housing an enriched collection of archaeological excavations hailing from 8th - 12th century A.D, this museum is one of the most visited tourist attraction in Mount Abu. The major attractions of this museum are paintings, tribal works and sculptures. It also boasts some Jain bronze carvings and unique brass artefacts whose artistic beauty will leave you awestruck. This museum possesses an amazingly fine set of artefacts along with some of the historic objects pertaining to the region.

This museum has been segregated in to two sections, each of which display different colours of art and history of this region.

First Section of the Museum

This section has been decked by a diorama of regional tribal hut with their traditional living style by adding an exquisite gallery of ladies ornaments, musical instruments and old weapons & artillery. These specifically include kanksi berla, gaga wala thoomar, guthma toda, karna, damani, barly and many other types of garments and earrings hailing from hill dwellers.

Second Section of the Museum

This section incorporates a beautiful series of incredible miniature paintings based on lain images from Sirohi, raga-raginis, "Topdi" - a small canon, some astonishing pieces of local wood carvings, and few medium sized shields. One of the notable collections of this archaeological museum is the finely carved statue of nartakis or devdasis (female dancers) hailing from 6th - 12tj century A.D. These were obtained from Chandravati, an ancient township near Mount Abu.

The main attraction of this section is the beyond belief image of Chakraprabhu "Lord Shiva" sitting on Nandi, his renowned bull, holding "trishul" (trident) in one hand while a "khadag" in the other hand. There are beautifully and adroitly carved dancing girls on the both sides of Lord Shiva. Another distinctive exhibit among the 404 sculptures of this museum of the Snake Goddess - Vish Kanya breast-feeding a snake. This exhibit is 3 feet high.

Some other figures housed by this museum include those of "Surya" from 8th century A.D recovered from Acalgarh, the Lord Shiva from 10th century A.D brought here from Dilwara temple, Goddess Laxmi and Chanvar Vahini from 8th and 12th century A.D respectively brought from Chanmunda and Chandravati respectively as well. These sculptures that were erected so many centuries ago showcase the dedication towards art of the people of those eras.

Timings and Ticket

The museum remains open from 9.30 am till 5 pm in the evening all days of the week except Fridays. the museum also remains closed on all public and national holidays. The entry for visiting this museum is Rs. 10 and Rs. 5 for Indian tourists and students respectively while the entry fee for foreigner tourists and students is Rs. 50 and Rs. 25 respectively.
It is an interesting place to see as it attracts the history lovers from all across the globe who want to witness the archaeological treasures from the bygone historic eras. A visit to this place will not only allow you to enjoy the beauty and brilliance of several historic artefacts but will certainly add a new dimension to your trip to the only hill station of the state of Rajasthan.