A newly
made museum named "Rajmata Devendra Kunwar State Museum and Cultural
Centre, Dungarpur" was opened in the year 1988 to the public.The
statue gallery of the museum throws light on the history of Vagad
Pradesh that was spread over the present areas of Dungarpur, Banswara
and tehsil Kherwara of Udaipur district. Dungarpur museum is an ideal
example and evidence of rich culture and past of Dungarpur.
Dungarpur
Museum depicts a rich mythological heritage of Dungarpur. Important
attractions of the museum are old historical objects, stone
inscriptions, metal statues, coins, paintings, sculptures of various
deities depicting the glimpses of ancient civilization and Vagad
culture which truly enthrall the visitor. Inside the museum there are
3 galleries. All the antiques and exhibits which were collected from
various parts of Vagad area are displayed in the first gallery of the
museum. Various exhibits of this museum dates back to 6th
century.
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The
prominent sculptural specimens are Mahishasur- Mardini (16th-17th
century AD); Vinadhar Shiva in black stone (6th-7th century A D);
Kumari, a female figure (6th-7th century AD) discovered from Aamjhara,
a good-looking image of Gajlaxmi (17th - 18th century AD) and
Navrgraha in a single stone piece (11th- 12th century AD).
The museum
also has a separate section which exhibits statues of the former
Maharajas of Dungarpur State and portraits of monuments, temples and
palaces. The portraits of the museum dates back to the time of Gupta
dynasty (6th century to 16th century). These statues are collected
from Baroda, Galiyakot, Amjhara and from other areas of Dungarpur
district. Among the statues which are displayed here the most
prominent statue is of Trantrik Ganesh which dates back to 5-6th
century (Gupta dynasty) and was found at Amjhara. This statue depict
volumes about practice of black magic at that time.
Other
prominent statues inside the museum include Harihar statue of 12-13th
century, Shiva holding veena (musical instrument), Vaishnavi riding a
Garud (Lamaisure), Brahmi wearing deer hide, in penance position,
Statue of Kuber couple, post medieval period statues of Sthanak Surya,
sculpture of Sur-Sundari, Statue of Adinath in meditation position and
other statues of Panala, Mahishasurmardini, Varah, Kaumari, Kumar,
Padmidi, and statue of Padmapani yaksha etc.
Some of
the prominent attractions in the cultural gallery of this museum are
Kutub Minar and Vijay Stambh. Other main attractions in the second
(cultural) gallery of the museum includes: paintings of groups
performing local gair dance along with different local musical
instruments of Vagad area, Suryanarayan statue, Gaibsagar Lake,
Rajrajeshwar shrine, Statues and Sculptures of Molela, Chundawara
Palace, Beneshwar, Hadmatiya, Surpur, Arthuna, Juna Mahal, Galiyakot
temple, Kshetrapal, Antiques made from metal, marriage ceremonies,
Tribal man-woman displaying cultural customs of Vagad. In the third
gallery of the museum, inscriptions which are mainly collected from
the e Vagad area are displayed.
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