Kirpal Singh
It was on March 1898 AD that Assistant to Resident, Captain S.H. Godfray and Raja Amar Singh proposed a Museum in Srinagar, to collect and conserve antiquities and products of Art of Jammu and Kashmir. They submitted that the state might aid the Museum with gifts from State Toshakhana in Jammu and Kashmir. The proposal met with magnificent response from His Highness and Princes of the ruling family.
The building of summer resort at Lalmandi was selected for the “Ajaibghar” as it was called in those days and it still stands on the left bank of the river Jehlum. The museum was opened in the middle of the year 1898 A.D. a Small collection of specimens received by the museum either by donation or by transfer from Toshakhana remained in the charge of the Librarian of the Srinagar State Library which was incorporated with Museum. The suggestions that the state might aid the museum with gifts from Toshakhana in Jammu and Srinagar met with great response from His Highness and the Princes of the ruling family as the magnificent collection of shawls, old armoury, silver utensils and metal antiquities from Ladakh were transferred to the Museum.

International Museum Day Special

The Archaeological section was very poor in its collection till the advent of Shri Daya Ram Sahni in the state in 1913, who subsequently carried out many excavations at the sites of Pandrathan, Parihaspur and Awantipur and consequently the majority of his finds from these sites became the nucleus of the Archaeological section of SPS Museum.
Additions have since then been made from Archaeological sites of Ushkar, Harwan, Hoinar, Pahalgam, Hutmura, Ashrat-nar-Badgam,Verinag, Soura, Tomb of Madin Sahib and Sir Aurel Stien’s (an archaeologist of international repute) collection from Takla Maidan (Central Asia). The antiquities of the Buddhist province of Ladakh are represented by a few Bronzes transferred from the State Toshakhana and number of clay seals presented by Sir John Marshall also an archaeologist of international repute.
The Museum is functioning as an educational centre a pleasure house and exhibits cultural heritage of state, acts as centre of art collection, for study by scholars specialists and all type of people.
SPS Museum contains separate sections on;
* Archaeology
* Paintings
* Decorative arts
* Armoury
* Textiles
Archaeology Section
The Archaeological section was of the most meager character until the reorganization of Archaeological Department in 1913 under the Late Lala Daya Ram Sahni, who was the first trained Archaeologist to start excavation in the state. The majority of his finds mostly of medieval period are from Pandrethan, Parihaspora and Awantipura have been displayed in this section. Few Bronzes transferred from State Toshakhana represent the antiquities of the Buddhist province of Ladakh and Sir John Marshal has presented a large number of seals of Buddhist creed of 9th century from Ladakh on behalf of the Government of India.
Miniature Paintings Section
The collection of miniature paintings in the SPS Museum is nearly 700. These are all hand made painting done at Kangra, Basohli, Jammu, and Kashmir. Few Mughal miniature paintings and few portraits of Muslim saints of Kashmir are also part of this section.
Decorative Art Section
This section houses nearly 4000 items comprising of wood carvings, paper machhie, minor handicrafts, silver work including images, jewellry, utensils, ornamental jugs from tibet, large copper trays , table-tops, enameled flasks, small brass spittoon, tin and copper utensils in large number. These items were transferred from State Toshakhana.
Armoury Section
This section houses nearly 300 items mostly transferred from military stores of His Highness. It contains Sikh and Dogra guns, revolvers, swords, daggers, khukhries, shields and other war Trophies captured in the World War – I, from German front. It also includes some old canons.
Textiles Section
The Textiles section includes shawls, rumals, brocade, zari work, bed-covers, darbari-chogas, carpets, ghabbas etc. which dates back to the Sultanate, Afgan, Sikh and Dogra periods. Most of these have been transferred from His Highness’s Toshakhana.
Anthropology Section
The objects displayed in this section illustrate the life and habits of the people of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. This gallery offers a visitor an excellent idea of the life led by the folks of this state. These collections are representative and contain many valuable objects no longer procurable.
Mineral or Geological Section
It consists of two collections, one, which was already in the Museum and the other transferred from Jammu, on the abolition of the Geological class from the Prince of Wales (presently Government Gandhi Memorial Science College, Jammu).
Numismatic Section
The Museum’s largest collection in quantity is of coins numbering more than 70,000. This includes gold, silver and copper coins of punch mark, Greek, Bacterian, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Parthian, Kushan, Kiddara-Kushans, Hun’s, medieval Hindus and Sultans of Kashnmir, Kabul, Shahi, Mughals, Durrani, Sikh and Dogra period.
Manuscripts Section
The Museum houses good collection of Manuscripts, Pattas, Wills, etc. in different scripts viz, Sharda, Sanskrit, Persian, Boddhi/Brahmi and Arabic.
Natural History Section
A large number of water birds, skins, skulls, horns and eggs etc. have been collected by Col. A E Ward, a recognized expert in the fauna of Kashmir who was incharge of this section. These have been set-up in a very admirable manner by Mr. Pearl, the then Taxidermist.
Thus, SPS Museum Srinagar is not only one of the oldest museums in India but also a matter of pride for every resident of Jammu and Kashmir and heritage enthusiast.
(The author is a Heritage activist)

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