History and culture comes alive at Banaras Vidya Mandir

What is it about Banaras or better known as Varanasi that leaves an unforgettable impression on anyone visiting this mystical city? What is it that allures people from all over the world to visit this enigmatic place at least once? What is it that draws pilgrims to come and pay their homage to the gods of this land? Well, there are no definite answers except for the fact that this ancient city is steeped in religion, history and culture and there is something extremely mystical about this place.
Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum
Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum [source]
The sights and sounds of Banaras of are truly unique representing varied facets of Indian mythology, culture and traditions. Among many the one site that stands out is the Banaras Vidya Mandir or also known as the Ramnagar Museum. This museum takes you into a journey of an era reminiscent of rich royal heritage and culture. Even today an imprint of the bygone era of royalty is clearly visible. In fact the Kashi Naresh and his family even now reside within the fort and the private residential premise is out of bounds for travelers.

The other part of the Ramnagar Fort houses the museum, which used to be once the durbar or the place where the Maharajas received an audience. It was converted into a museum in the year 1964. Today the museum gives you a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Maharajas and literally depicts a chapter out of Indian culture and history. The museum is a treasure house of precious artifacts thereby offering a cultural extravaganza to history and cultural buffs. There is so much to see within the museum that sometimes few hours aren’t sufficient. The museum is operational between 10 am and 5pm daily except for on holidays.

The museum is known to house an impressive collection of all kinds of artifacts and it is believed that some of the artifacts belong to the medieval period. Even though there are numerous different kinds of artifacts, there are some that do standout and deserve a special mention.

One of them is a gorgeous pictorial display of the Dusshera celebrations conducted on the banks of the River Ganges and another one is the unique textile that has been woven from ivory. Keen interest in science is also visible through a giant clock that not only displays the time but also the year, month, week and day. Also, it shows the astronomical details of the sun, moon and other planets.

Culture enthusiasts will be glad to come across precious manuscripts among which one of them is handwritten by the famous Goswami Tulsidas. There are also illustrations of Mughal miniature art and quite an impressive collection can be found on them. A glimpse into Islamic culture and lifestyle is clearly depicted through these illustrations.

Beside these, some of the other significant artifacts that museum houses include palanquins, Armoury, antique clocks, paintings, weaponry, costumes, jewelry, elephant saddles, textiles, Palkies, paintings, vintage cars etc. It is definitely a worthwhile experience to explore about Banaras Vidya Mandir Museum within the Ramnagar Fort.
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