Bharatpur Government Museum: Open Daily Except When It’s Not Open

Traveling around India for more than 7 years now, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how efficient government offices and government run tourist sites run. That is until I stopped by Bharatpur Government Museum to find a very closed, very locked gate waiting for me. There I was at half past eleven o’clock on a Monday morning standing in front of Kamra Khas Mahal, holding onto the iron gates which kept me outside. Inside I could see a gorgeously manicured yard of shrubs in perfect shades of green as tall bushy palm trees swayed above.

This wouldn’t have been so annoying had it not been for a rather lengthy, truly exhausting conversation between my driver and me all surrounding the best itinerary to see the Government Museum of Bharatpur. Should we come directly from Alwar and stay overnight in Deeg, tour the water palace and move toward Bharatpur the following day (his plan)? Or, was the better option to stay in Bharatpur, backtrack to Deeg, and then double back to Bharatpur at which time the government museum was sure to be open (my plan)?

As I mulled about the gate taking what few photos were possible with the camera lens shoved between the iron pillars, a resident small boy walked up to greet me.

“Hello, closed today,” he said.

No kidding larka, no kidding.

Why Visit Bharatpur Government Museum

Kamra Khas used to be the administrative building for the rulers of the Bharatpur District. It shifted to a museum in the 1944. Today, aside from the Bharatpur Fort and Keoladeo National Park, the Bharatpur Government Museum stands as one of the few sights to explore in the area. Artifacts and souvenirs of Bharatpur’s past are displayed within the museum including sculptures, paintings, weaponry, local art and manuscripts.

When to Visit

Published museum hours vary between sources:

Travel Guides: Open Daily (Except Fridays and Holidays) 10AM to 4:30.

Official Bharatpur Government website: Open Daily (Except Mondays) 9:45AM to 5:15PM.

Cost: Rs 5 Indians, Rs 50 Foreigners, Students Rs 2, Foreign Students Rs 25; Camera Rs 10, video Rs 20

Related posts:

1. Keoladeo National Park of Bharatpur Rajasthan
2. Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, New Delhi
3. Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba, Himachal Pradesh