site & Architecture
Maharaja Narinder Singh was known to be a great sponsor of art and literature. He engaged great painters from Kangra and Rajasthan to paint the walls of the Sheesh Mahal with a variety of images pertaining to literature, mythology and legends. Their works portray the vision in the poetry of Keshav, Surdas and Bihari. The paintings also portray Raga-Ragni, Nayak-Nayika and Bara-masa in Rajasthani style. The walls and ceilings of the Sheesh Mahal are rich in floral designs and its interior is a kaleidoscope of images and multi-colored lights. Amongst the Sheesh Mahal`s most highly recommended displays are a series of Kangra-style miniatures depicting the Geet Govind, an epic poem by Jaidev. The Sheesh Mahal illustrates its name from the elegantly designed glass and mirror work, which covers an entire section of the palace.
The Sheesh Mahal also consists of a museum, which displays fine objects of Tibetan art, particularly the sculpture of different kinds of metals. `Bhupindar Singh`, Maharaja of Patiala in the 1920s, put the Sheesh Mahal Medal Collection together. His son, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh subsequently donated the medal collection to the people of the Punjab on India gaining independence in 1947 and the collection now lies in the Sheesh Mahal Museum. Although theoretically open to the public, gaining entrance to the museum can be difficult.
Various other items like the Ivory carvings of Punjab, royal wooden carved furniture, and a large number of Burmese and Kashmiri carved objects have also been exhibited. One can see huge portraits of the rulers of Patiala decorating the walls of museum hall. The museum`s collection also includes some rare manuscripts. Besides Janamsakhi and Jain manuscripts, the most valuable possession is the Gulistan-Bostan by Sheikh Sadi of Shiraz, which was acquired by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his personal library.
Included in the collection are also the five Victoria Cross medal groups, four of which were known, but the fifth VC group was never identified, until now.
The Victoria Crosses known to be in the Sheesh Mahal Collection are:
1. Captain George Day - Royal Navy (Crimean War).
2. Private John Dunlay - 93rd Regiment (Indian Mutiny).
3. Quartermaster William Odgers - Royal Navy (New Zealand).
4. Captain of the Forecastle John Taylor - Royal Navy (Crimean War).
5. Private Thomas Beach - 55th Regiment (Crimean War).
The Medal Gallery set up in the Sheesh Mahal has on display the largest number of medals and decorations in the world, numbering 3,200. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh from collected these all over the world. His illustrious son Maharaja Yadvindra Singh gifted this priceless collection to the Punjab Government Museum. The collection contains medals from England, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Thailand, China, Japan and a host of other countries of Asia and Africa. Besides medals, there is a rare collection of coins. This numismatic collection presents a vast range from the punch-marked coins to those issued by the princely states in the 19th century. These coins characterize the Country`s history of trade, commerce, science and metallurgy.
A further discovery in the Sheesh Mahal Collection was that of a "New Zealand Cross" awarded to Assistant-Surgeon Samuel Walker for service during the Maori Wars. Only 23 crosses were awarded. An Order of Council, Wellington, New Zealand in 1869 to reward local volunteer forces to which the Victoria Cross was ineligible, instigated the "New Zealand Cross". The location of Walker`s New Zealand Cross was, until now, unknown by the Army Museum Waiouru, New Zealand.
Maharaja Narinder Singh was known to be a great sponsor of art and literature. He engaged great painters from Kangra and Rajasthan to paint the walls of the Sheesh Mahal with a variety of images pertaining to literature, mythology and legends. Their works portray the vision in the poetry of Keshav, Surdas and Bihari. The paintings also portray Raga-Ragni, Nayak-Nayika and Bara-masa in Rajasthani style. The walls and ceilings of the Sheesh Mahal are rich in floral designs and its interior is a kaleidoscope of images and multi-colored lights. Amongst the Sheesh Mahal`s most highly recommended displays are a series of Kangra-style miniatures depicting the Geet Govind, an epic poem by Jaidev. The Sheesh Mahal illustrates its name from the elegantly designed glass and mirror work, which covers an entire section of the palace. The Sheesh Mahal also consists of a museum, which displays fine objects of Tibetan art, particularly the sculpture of different kinds of metals. `Bhupindar Singh`, Maharaja of Patiala in the 1920s, put the Sheesh Mahal Medal Collection together. His son, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh subsequently donated the medal collection to the people of the Punjab on India gaining independence in 1947 and the collection now lies in the Sheesh Mahal Museum. Although theoretically open to the public, gaining entrance to the museum can be difficult.
Various other items like the Ivory carvings of Punjab, royal wooden carved furniture, and a large number of Burmese and Kashmiri carved objects have also been exhibited. One can see huge portraits of the rulers of Patiala decorating the walls of museum hall. The museum`s collection also includes some rare manuscripts. Besides Janamsakhi and Jain manuscripts, the most valuable possession is the Gulistan-Bostan by Sheikh Sadi of Shiraz, which was acquired by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his personal library.
Included in the collection are also the five Victoria Cross medal groups, four of which were known, but the fifth VC group was never identified, until now.
The Victoria Crosses known to be in the Sheesh Mahal Collection are:
1. Captain George Day - Royal Navy (Crimean War).
2. Private John Dunlay - 93rd Regiment (Indian Mutiny).
3. Quartermaster William Odgers - Royal Navy (New Zealand).
4. Captain of the Forecastle John Taylor - Royal Navy (Crimean War).
5. Private Thomas Beach - 55th Regiment (Crimean War).
The Medal Gallery set up in the Sheesh Mahal has on display the largest number of medals and decorations in the world, numbering 3,200. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh from collected these all over the world. His illustrious son Maharaja Yadvindra Singh gifted this priceless collection to the Punjab Government Museum. The collection contains medals from England, Austria, Russia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Thailand, China, Japan and a host of other countries of Asia and Africa. Besides medals, there is a rare collection of coins. This numismatic collection presents a vast range from the punch-marked coins to those issued by the princely states in the 19th century. These coins characterize the Country`s history of trade, commerce, science and metallurgy. A further discovery in the Sheesh Mahal Collection was that of a "New Zealand Cross" awarded to Assistant-Surgeon Samuel Walker for service during the Maori Wars. Only 23 crosses were awarded. An Order of Council, Wellington, New Zealand in 1869 to reward local volunteer forces to which the Victoria Cross was ineligible, instigated the "New Zealand Cross". The location of Walker`s New Zealand Cross was, until now, unknown by the Army Museum Waiouru, New Zealand.
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