Salarjung Museum

Salarjung Museum

Salarjung Museum the single largest one- man collections of the world. If this one-man had not chosen to remain a bachelor the world would have been bereft of one of the greatest collection of antiques. We are talking about art objects collected by Yusuf Ali Salar Jung, the prime minister to the Nizam. Though Salar Jung III is credited with this fantastic collections, it all started with his father and grandfather.

In 1912, at the age of 23 he became the prime minister to Nizam, but resigned two and a half years later. Thereafter, antiques and art were the only passions in his lonely life. Besides of course patronizing poets, artists and sportsmen.
Salarjung had passion for the rarest of antiques and interesting bric-a-brac. It is believed that he spent half his income and his entire life towards collecting the art objects, rare manuscripts and paintings from all over the world. No wonder more than 40,000 of them are housed in the famous Salarjung museum located in old city area in Hyderabad.


He collected sculptures, wood carvings, religious objects, swords, daggers, armours, manuscripts, furniture, vases, snuff boxes, utensils, archer’s rings, ornaments, pottery, clocks, miniature paintings, portraits, silver, costumes and even toys !!

And they came from all over the world, France, England, Switzerland, Germany, Persia, China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka. The artifacts were originally in Diwan Devdi his residence. It was shifted to the present building in 1968 and declared an "institution of national importance" by an act of parliament in 1961.

The highlights in the museum include the "veiled Rebecca", "Mestophiles" and "the Lady with the lamp". In the jade room one can see the swords, daggers and the clothing of the Mughal emperors and of Tipu Sultan. The clock room is one of the best galleries with a collection of more than 300 clocks and the famous musical clock with a toy figure of watchman, who pushes open the door every hour in a great hurry, to beat the melodious gong.

If you are visiting Hyderabad it will be truly incomplete if you do not visit this simple building on the banks of Musi river.