Amar Mahal Palace, Jammu - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 8 km from Jammu Railway Station, Amar Mahal Palace is a royal palace situated on the banks of the Tawi River in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the best places to visit in Jammu for those who want to know the history of the erstwhile Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir.

Amar Palace was built in the 19th century by Raja Amar Singh, a Dogra king. The palace was the last official residence of the Dogra dynasty and the last king of the kingdom Maharaja Hari Singh. Maharani Tara Devi, wife of the late Maharaja Hari Singh (son of Raja Amar Singh) lived in this palace till her death in 1967. Subsequently, her son Karan Singh and his wife Yasho Rajya Lakshmi converted the palace into a museum to house rare books and works of art, with the they transferred the palace property to a trust named the 'Hari-Tara Charitable Trust'.

Built with red bricks and red sandstone, this imposing building was planned by a French architect in the European castle style. It has long passages on three sides, which are covered by sloping ridged tin roofs and the passages are supported on columns with a wooden framework. The first floor of the palace building has French windows with a connected balcony and the top floor has a bay window. The windows also depict triangular projections in classical Greek architectural style, which are fitted over ornate false columns. When built during the reign of Raja Amar Singh, it was the tallest building in Jammu.

Inaugurated in 1975 by Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, the museum has several exhibits including a golden sofa of the Dogra rulers, weighing 120kg, a Pahari miniature, Kangra miniature paintings, a library of 25,000 antique books, many rare art collections, and a large collection of portraits of the Dogra rulers. Hindu epic scenes from the Mahabharata and epic stories like Nala Damayanti are depicted in the paintings of this museum. An exclusive chamber in the museum, once the living quarters of the Maharani Tara Devi, is conserved and exhibited in its original form where a silver bedspread, period furniture, photographs, and the decoration of the Crown of India which was presented to her in 1945, her personal items of clothing and the unique Victorian bathroom are on display.

Timings: 9 AM - 1 PM & 2 PM - 5 PM, Closed on Mondays & National Holidays

Entry: Rs. 20 for Adults & Rs. 10 for Children, Rs. 100 for Special Admission