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Places to Visit

Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal | Details, Timings and Charges

Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal: A cultural institute dedicated towards preserving India’s artistic legacy. This institute strives to raise cultural awareness among individuals, encourage persons interested in performing any Indian art form, display items in a museum, hold numerous events, and much more.

History of Lok Kala Mandal

Padma Shri Devi Lal Samar founded the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal in the year 1952 to restore the regional folk culture in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and other areas. This institute was created to explore folk art forms and unearth them to make them visually available to those interested in learning art. This institute has also received international and national recognition for its puppet shows and other dance performances.

Key Highlights of Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal

1.) Museum

bhartiya lok kala mandal museum udaipur

Credits: www.lokkalamandal.com

Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum is an innovative place that deserves to be seen. Over the past 44 years, this Museum has been displaying rural dresses, puppets, decorations, masks, folk musical instruments, dolls, paintings, folk deities, wall sculptures, ceremonial pots, woodwork artwork, and henna patterns.

2.) Cultural Dance Performances

Cultural Dance Performaces at Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal

Credits: www.patrika.com

Every evening, a folk show is held in the studio theatre, featuring multiple traditional dance performances including Garba, Dandiya, Ghoomar, and others. These performances are made by highly experienced dancers. Moreover, it is a great venue to teach youngsters about local culture. It is, in some ways, a true celebration of Rajasthan’s rich cultural legacy; the folk singers and lively dancers exhibit the actual folk culture of Rajasthan to the audience.

3.) The Lok Kala Mandal Research Centre

This centre initiates research on diverse folk art traditions that are recorded in audio and video form for educational purposes.

4.) Institute for Rural Communication

This institute assists rural communities in developing rural connection lines and trains them on how to communicate via media.

5.) Govind Puppet Performing Centre

 

lok kala mandal govind puppet theatre

Credits: www.lokkalamandal.com

This Centre is dedicated to conducting puppet research and experimenting with various puppet show genres. Puppet performances are said to have originated over 2000 years ago, and The Lok Kala Mandal guarantees that one of the world’s oldest art forms is maintained and displayed at a global level.

Besides the above mentioned highlights, The Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal also provides puppetry training on a regular basis to educate children, teachers, and other puppet admirers. Folk dance training is also offered on a regular basis at the centre where the subject experts teach traditional and tribal dances and music to young people, especially women, in order to preserve these art forms. These efforts help this establishment in sustaining puppetry as an art form for future generations.

Reasons behind creating Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal

Rajasthan’s Mewar area is renowned for its diverse culture and art. Its local artefacts are, in fact, always praised and treasured around the world. Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal took steps and created an institution to encourage local craftsmen and artists, as well as foster local arts and cultures, in order to preserve and grow this legacy.

Consequently, the Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum turned out to be a part of their objective, which was dedicated to showcasing Mewar’s exclusive and finest arts and crafts. The museum shows one-of-a-kind treasures amassed over the last 44 years and provides an overview of India’s conventional traditions.

training at bhartiya lok kala mandal

Credits: www.lokkalamandal.com

In a nutshell, the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal is the ideal destination to learn about and experience Rajasthani culture and art. Mentioned herewith are some of the major objectives of this institution:

  • Educating and providing information about India’s art and culture.
  • Organizing training sessions to teach the local art forms to the art lovers.
  • Popularizing traditional dance and culture.
  • Prioritizing the puppet shows.
  • Encouraging the Folk dancers and musicians.

Why should you come to Udaipur’s Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal?

To watch the evening folk dance and puppet performance, as well as to learn about cultural items that are displayed in the Museum. You may also take assistance from this research section of the institute if you want to seek information about any Indian art form. If you are a dedicated learner, there are also learning institutions on the grounds that may assist you in teaching any art form, such as dancing or puppet shows.

lok kala mandal puppet show

Credits: www.yuvrajudaipurtaxi.com

Entry Fee of The Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal

Entry Fees for Museum:
Rs.60/- for Indian Tourists
Rs.120/- for Foreign Tourists
Rs.25/- for students and Kids under 5 years.

Timings: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Charges for Folk activities and Puppet Show:
Rs.120/- for Indian Tourists
Rs.180/- for Foreign Tourists
Rs.60/- for students and Kids under 5 years.

Timings: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM

So, when in Udaipur, it becomes a must to visit this gem of a place.

 

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Places to Visit

बागोर की हवेली – उदयपुर का एक खूबसूरत पर्यटक आकर्षण

पिछोला झील के किनारे, गणगौर घाट पर बनी बागोर की हवेली वर्षों से उदयपुर के पर्यटकों को लुभाती आयी है। यह ऐतिहासिक हवेली राजा महाराजाओं के जीवन की एक जीती जगती दास्ताँ है। इसका निर्माण 1751 से 1778 के अंतराल में मेवाड़ के प्रधान मंत्री रहे अमरचंद बड़वा ने करवाया था। उनकी मृत्यु के बाद यह हवेली मेवाड़ राज्य के शाही परिवार के अधिकार में आ गयी।

आज़ादी के बाद राज्य सरकार ने इस हवेली को सरकारी कर्मचारियों के निवास के उपयोग में लिया। पर इस दौरान हवेली के सही रखरखाव के आभाव में इसकी हालत ज़र-ज़र होती गई। बाद में राजस्थान सरकार ने 1986 में इस ऐतिहासिक ईमारत को पश्चिम क्षेत्र सांस्कृतिक केंद्र का मुख्यालय बनाने के लिए सौंप दिया।

100 कमरों की इस हवेली को उसके पूर्व स्वरुप में लाने की अपार मेहनत की गयी। इसके 138 कक्ष, बरामदे, गलियारे सभी ऐतिहासिक प्रमाणिकता के अनुसार फिर से निर्मित किये गए। पश्चिम क्षेत्र सांस्कृतिक केंद्र ने इस हवेली को एक खूबसूरत संग्रहालय का रूप दिया जहाँ मेवाड़ की संस्कृति की एक अनूठी झलक दिखाई देती है।

बागोर की हवेली के ऐतिहासिक महत्व को ध्यान में रखते हुए यहाँ भारत विभिन्न राज्य जैसे राजस्थान, गुजरात, महाराष्ट्र, गोवा की संस्कृति को दर्शाने की पहल की गई।

आज यहाँ शस्त्रगार, कठपुतली और शाही शादी जैसे अनोखे संग्रहालय पर्यटकों को आकर्षित करते हैं। इसके अलावा हवेली में दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी पगड़ी और कावड़ भी सजी हुई है जिसे लोग खास तौर से देखने आते हैं। हवेली में मेवाड़ की शाही घरानों की शानो को दर्शाने के लिए अलग-अलग कक्षों में झाकियां प्रदर्शित की गई है। इनमे अमोद-प्रमोद कक्ष, गणगौर कक्ष, श्रृंगार कक्ष, शयन कक्ष, रंगनिवास, पूजा कक्ष, संगीत कक्ष आदि खास आकर्षण का केंद्र हैं।

दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी पगड़ी

बागोर की हवेली में भारत के कई राज्यों की पारम्परिक पाग-पगड़िया रखी हैं जिसमे से एक है दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी 30 किलो वज़न की पगड़ी। यहाँ अनूठी पड़गी 151 फ़ीट लम्बी, 7 इंच मोटी, 11 चौड़ी, और ढाई फ़ीट ऊंची है। दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी माने जाने वाली इस पगड़ी को बड़ोदा के कारीगर अवंतीलाल चावला ने 25 दिनों में बनाया था।

बागोर की हवेली संस्कृति, सभ्यता और इतिहास की वह झलक है जो अपने-आप में मेवाड़ के राज घरानों की एक पूरी गाथा सुनाती है। यहाँ के शाही दरवाज़े, चौक, गलियारे, दरीखाना, कमरे, हर कोने से मेवाड़ी शानो-शौकत की झलक दिखाई देती है।

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Places to Visit

Saheliyon Ki Bari : A Salubrious Retreat of Maidens

Away from the noisy din of city, Saheliyon Ki Bari is a spick and span verdency where waving sprawling dazzling moments of nature spell bounds to its romantic ambience. It is a garden of maids of honor which brings to the fore the unique life style of royal ladies who once lived in the glorious palaces of the city. It is located on the northern part of Udaipur city, adjoining the east of the embankment of dainty Fatehsagar Lake.

Saheliyon Ki Bari - Panorama

Saheliyon Ki Bari was constructed by Maharana Sangram Singh II in 18th century for the recreation of royal ladies who came here for a stroll and to provide them with pleasurable moments away from the political intrigues of the court.  The garden was designed for Maharana’s queen and her forty eight women attendants, who had accompanied her after her marriage as the part of the dowry. This is a spectacularly well-maintained garden with fountains, flower, herbs, trees, lawns and almost everything which could be found in an enthralling utopian world of fairy-land.

The garden has four pools ornate with delicately chiseled kiosks, elephants in marble (each elephant sculptured out of a single piece of stone) and lions carved out in marble serving the purpose of fountain which create the royal picture of the bygone era. Fountains surround a lotus pool, a marble throne and a settling room which has been adorned with enchanting paintings and glass mosaics. The garden boasts of almost 2000 fountains, small and big, and that too built at the time when there were no water pumps. These fountains are fed by the waters of Fateh Sagar Lake gushing through purpose-built ducts.

Each water channel was designed to create a distinct sound so that the mingling of these sounds would create music. There are five beautiful fountains which are viz. Swagat fountain, Savan Bhodo fountain, Kamal Talai fountain, Rasaleela fountain and Bin-Badal barasat fountain. In the old time the queens used to come with their friends so it is called Saheliyon-Ki-bari.

Saheliyon Ki Baari - Pathway

Maharana Bhopal Singh in the later years was fascinated by this place and built the rain cascading fountain in order to form an illusion of rain falling to the rhythm of dancing maids. These fountains were imported from England in 1889 and can be traced along with the main reservoir that has four black marble kiosks at corners and one white marble kiosk in the center. The ‘Savan-Bhado’ fountain is on the left of the central square and there is yet another one on the right. The pond on the west features daintily sculpture pavilions of soft black stone, which are surrounded on all sides by more fountains.This ornamental garden was constructed in its present form by Maharana Fateh Singh in late nineteenth century, after the original garden had been washed away on account of the breach of its old embankment.

 

Museum @Saheliyon Ki Bari :

MuseumSaheliyon ki Bari also houses a small museum which displays the royal objects of Maharana with large collection of pictures and antiques of royal households. This museum also domiciles stuffed animals, such as cobras and ancient pictures, thus promoting rich heritage of Rajasthan. The garden’s lotus pools and fountains have been placed at a lower level than the water of Fateh Sagar. This also ensures that they are gravity-fed. As one strolls through the shady lawns and the rose garden comprising over 100 varieties, the profusion of flowers feasts the eyes of visitors and the bunch of bougainvillea bends down to offer greetings. Flowers of deep blue, rosy red, enticing purple and marvelous orange facilitates visitors and especially the children.

The beauty of this alluring state intoxicates one to its tranquillizing effect and resuscitates our minds from the hectic schedule of our mechanical life. It is loved for its elegance which fills leisure intelligently and is the favorite picnic spots in Udaipur and visited by both locals and tourists in large numbers. It is a sprawling garden with carved pavilions and fountains whose grandeur serves as icing on cake. The picturesque serenity of the place has been showcased in several romantic film sequences ‘such is the mesmerizing appeal of this garden’. The best time to visit the place is winter season when the temperature is ideal as one will mostly be under the sky. Visiting time is from 9 am to 6:30 pm daily.  It is good for experience seekers, photo fanatics, nature lovers. Entry fee is Rs. 5 per person. Today, Saheliyon ki Bari has become a dauntless amusing destiny and the pleasure park for the recreation of Udaipur dwellers.

 

Saheliyon Ki Bari – The Photo Gallery

SKB

Saheliyon Ki Bari - Main Entrance

Saheliyon Ki Baari

Fountain Sprinkles

Vigyan Kendra

Saheliyon Ki Bari - GardenFountains

Photos By : Yash Sharma

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Videos

[Video] The City Palace Museum Udaipur

Check out the video of Udaipur’s Museum – The City Palace covered on NDTV 24X7’s show ‘India Matters’ in their section, ‘Making Museum Matters’ on the occasion of World Museum Day on 18th May 2012.

Video Shared By : Eternal Mewar

City Palace Udaipur