Founded in the 7th century by Ajai Pal Chauhan. Ajmer was the centre of Chauhan power till 1193 A.D and had many battles fought over. Yet its charm and valour were intact until the great warrior ruler Prithvi Raj Chauhan lost to Muhammed Gohri. And Ajmer passed on to multiple hands of Marwar rulers and finally the Mughals. Eventually, it was conquered by the Marathas, who subsequently lost it to the British and it became part of Rajasthan.

The Ajmer Government Museum, situated in the famous Lohagarh Fort, is also known as Bharatpur Museum. It preserves an array of archaeological artifacts from Bharatpur. It forms an essential destination for the Ajmer tours. Established in 1908 this museum has several exquisite antiques collated from the region of Rajasthan.

There are several sections within the museum such as Archaeology, Armory, Arts, Crafts and Industry, Children Gallery and the miscellaneous section. A rare collection of miniature paintings on the leaves of Peepal trees, mica, old litho papers and some of the finest paintings of the Maharajas of Bharatpur can be glimpsed inside the Art Gallery. For armour enthusiasts the collection of 'Chaddra', miniature canons of 18th century, displayed in two sets of eleven each will be sight to see. These were used in the battles fought within the territory of Jaipur by Maharaja Sawai Jawahar Singh. Another interesting array of artifacts constitutes of exhibits of Adhai-din-ka-Jhonpra, a mosque built from the ruins of Hindu and Jain temples on the same site within two and a half days. These are accompanied by the precious objects from the Gupta dynasty to the late medieval era.

By virtue of the highly rich and elaborate history of Rajasthan, dating way back to the seventh century, the Museums in Ajmer exhibit the rarest of rare collections like weapons and armor used in medieval times, stone sculptures, and miniature paintings.

Due to the dominance of culturally diverse rulers, initially in the form of the Rajputs and then in the form of the Delhi Sultanate and finally the Mughals, the Museums in Ajmer showcase a wide range of antique pieces of items that have been a subject of extensive research and excavation.

The major departments of Museums in Ajmer are dedicated to the Sculptures, Epigraphs, Arms and Weapons of Kings as well as warriors.

One viewing all the above exhibits, one develops an idea about creative brilliance possessed by the various artisans and craftsmen of those ages. One also gets absorbed by the timeless charm of the arts and crafts, which find relevance till date. The attires of Kings and Soldiers, makes one wonder, the pomp and show that the people of those times believed in.

Located in the centre of the famous Lohagarh Fort, the Bharatpur Museum houses a rich collection of archaeological wealth of the nearby areas as well as from the old Bharatpur State.

The huge palatial building Kachahari kalan, once the administrative block of the rulers of Bharatpur state, was converted into a Museum in 1944 AD. Later on, the Kamra Khas (personal chamber) building on the first floor was added to the museum. It exhibits sculptures found during the escavation of old villages e.g. Noh, Mallah, Bareh, Bayana etc. ranging from the Kushan period (Ist century A.D.) to 19th century A.D. Weapons used in battles in the medieval period the Jat rulers, paintings, manuscripts, zoological specimens, localart and carft that was once Bharatpur.

The Art Gallery of the museum has specimens of miniature paintings on leaves of the peepal tree, mica and old lithopapers alongwith the paintings of the Maharajas of Bharatpur. On the upper stroy one section consists of various tyupes of guns & miniature canons used during 18th centrurry A.D. Called 'Chaddra'.

These miniature canons - two sets of eleven each, were used by Maharaja Sawai Jawahar Singh in the battle while passing through the Jaipur territory on his return from a pilgrimage to Pushkar. The whole museum has been divided into the following sections : 1. Archaeology 2. Armoury 3. Arts,Crafts and Industry 4. Children Gallery 5. Miscellaneous

Timing : 10 A. M. to 4.30 P.M.

Closed : Friday and gazetted holidays.

The Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum is situated in the Chandra Mahal Palace, built by Sawai Jai Singh when he constructed his new capital at Jaipur in 1727. Divided into five comprehensive sections, the museum displays the ancestral collections of former maharajas - paintings, manuscripts, maps, carpets, textiles, costumes, weapons and decorative art objects depicting courtly life in Jaipur state between the 16th and 19th century.

In the Vastragar (the textile and costume gallery), fine Mughal brocades, embroideries, Patkas, Kashmiri wollen and Pashmina shawls, Sanganeri blockprints and Mashru from Gujarat jostle with royal costumes. Among the latter is an immense atamsukh worn by the 2.1 m tall Sawai Madho Singh in the 18th century.

There are other rare and interesting objects like the giant silver vessels, each weighing 3.5 quintals, especially made to contain Gangajal (Ganga water). The Guinness Book of Records lists these as the largest silver objects in the world. Among a fine collection of carpets is one from Heart which is more than 17 m long. The Silekhana, with its painted and mirrored ceiling, contains a large selection of weapons that include varieties of swords and daggers, some with delicately carved jade, ivory, crystal and horn handles and some enameled and encrusted with jewels.