Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art

A treasure trove of an exquisite collection of Indian art, the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art in Hyderabad is a dreamland for art buffs and historical art enthusiasts. Collected by the renowned visionary couple, after whom the museum is named, the Indian Art Museum houses paintings from all major schools of India along with other art objects on display.

About the Museum

The Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art is one of the most loved places in Hyderabad for the art and cultural fanatics because of the exquisite art objects it possesses. As the name suggests, the museum owes its establishment to the renowned and visionary artist couple Jagdish Mittal and his wife Kamla Mittal who collected several Indian art items and gathered them for over 60 years. On 30th March 1976, the couple inaugurated an unalterable Public Trust named Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art to welcome the public to have a look at the marvelous collection.

The main highlight of the museum is the Indian miniature paintings and over 2000 other art objects that depict the era spanning from 1200 A.D. to the end of the 19th century. The paintings hail from all the significant art schools such as Western Indian or Gujarati, Rajasthani, Mughal, Pahadi (Punjab Hill States), Central India, Deccani, South Indian, Bengali, Orissan, as well as the Company period and Folk styles. Apart from the beautiful paintings, the museum also houses drawings, textile exhibits, metalware, manuscripts, decorative arts, calligraphy works, terracotta, ivory figures, jade objects, arms, and armors, folk and classical bronzes, artistic handicrafts, and other miscellaneous objects such as Nepali and Tibetan thankas and metal images.

The art objects assembled by the Mittals were mainly for their aesthetic excellence but some are very crucial for research purposes because of their rarity from a particular region or school. Some of the objects from the museum have been lent for display at the famous Festival of India exhibition held in London, USA, and France as well as exhibitions held in prestigious art museums in India. The museum also organizes many lectures and workshops by eminent scholars of Indian art which are attended by many art enthusiasts. The visitors can also have a look at the souvenir shop at the museum to take with them some mementos from this splendid place.