Amar Mahal, Jammu

Amar Mahal, built in the 1890s by the Dogra ruler Raja Amar, is one of the prime attractions in Jammu. The structure was designed by a French architect. As a reason, the site resembles a French chateau built by Indian artisans. Red sand stone had been used during the construction of Amar Mahal.

In the past, the Amar Mahal has acted as the residence of royal family members. The site, however, was transformed into a museum that houses collections of books, sculptures, paintings and inscriptions. The prime attraction of this museum is the Durbar Hall which is embellished with ‘pahari’ paintings and portraits of erstwhile rulers of Jammu and Kashmir.

The throne of Maharaja Hari Singh, made of 120 kg of gold, can be seen inside this museum. Tourists can also visit a library containing over 20,000 books inside the Amar Mahal Museum. These books with some special volumes, have been collected in the last 50 years from the library of Raja Amar Singh.