Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum was founded by his Majesty Ganga Singh, on the occasion of his golden jubilee in 1937, when he completed fifty years of his reign. A big celebration was held and dignitaries from overseas graced the festivity.
At first the museum was housed in a sand stone building near the Lalgarh palace in Bikaner, but it was rather a small building and was shifted to a new building in the Civil lines in 1954. Then it was handed over to the state government of Rajasthan.
The exhibits are splendid master pieces of Harappan civilization, Gupta and Kushan era and sculptures of the late classical time.
Principal Sections of the Museum
Historical Mughal Farmans
The History of Bikaner contains a colourful record of war adventures. More than half a dozen rulers lost their lives while participating in the imperial campaigns of the Mughals.
Various ‘Farmans’ bearing original Imperial seals, issued by the Emperors – Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb and Shah Alam, are preserved in this museum.
Exquisite Collection Miniatures Paintings
An exquisite collection of Rajasthani miniatures paintings of almost all the sub-schools of Rajasthan such as Bikaner, Bundi, Mewar, Jaipur, Jodhpur etc. are on view here.
Finest Collections of Early Terracotta Art
The museum has one of the finest collections of early terracotta art, in the country. These belong to the early Gupta period and were discovered in 1017 AD by Dr. L. P. Tessitori from the ancient Theris of Rang Mahal, Badopal, Pir Sultan-Ki-Theri located between Suratgarh and Hanumangarh of the old Bikaner state.
Sculptures Section
The sculpture of Jain Saraswati (11th-12th Century) is a unique piece of marble of four feet eight inches in height. Discovered from village Pallu (Ganganagar), it is a peerless example of medieval Indian sculpture.
Lacquer Work
The museum has a fine collection of superb lacquered works, a craft special to Bikaner entirely done by the artisans, called Ustas (Ustaads), on wood, metal, glass, stone, leather and ostrich egg shells.
Wood And Stone Carvings
Bikaner stands almost unsurpassed in wood and stone carvings. A teak wood table and a wooden casket, a model of the Gajner Palace (Bikaner), a typical ‘Ikka’ (horse drawn cart) and chariot with minutest details are on view in the museum.
