Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad (must see)

Salar Jung Museum began as the private collection of Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III, an unmarried nobleman who devoted much of his life and wealth to collecting art and rare objects from India and abroad. After his sudden death in 1949, parts of the collection were reportedly lost because many objects had been kept across different palaces without a complete inventory. The museum opened to the public in 1951 and was later declared an Institution of National Importance in 1961.

The galleries reflect Deccan elite taste and global links, with paintings, carpets, porcelain, furniture, ivory, clocks, manuscripts, weapons, and objects linked to Tipu Sultan, Aurangzeb, Jahangir, and Nur Jahan. The ivory gallery is often noted for a carved chair traditionally linked with King Louis XVI’s gift to Tipu Sultan.

Several exhibits are especially memorable for their craftsmanship. The marble sculpture Veiled Rebecca is admired for the way stone is carved to suggest a thin veil. The double sculpture of Mephistopheles and Margaretta shows one figure from the front and another from the back. The museum also has a strong collection of Mughal jade, including finely worked daggers and ornamented objects that reflect courtly taste, hunting culture, and luxury craftsmanship.

The museum also rewards visitors who enjoy unusual details. Its library holds rare manuscripts, while the galleries include unusual walking sticks with hidden blades, maps, or measuring tools. The 19th-century musical clock remains one of the museum’s most popular displays; its small mechanical figure appears at the hour, and the clock still needs regular manual winding by museum staff.