The gallery at the City Palace has sure been spreading its silvery charisma over its visitors since the launch. A repository of the much cherished artefacts and items of use from the royal house of Mewar, the Splendour of Silver is a vivid example of art, luxury and preservation. It also houses the religious items carved out in silver that were used to honour the deity at the Shree Eklingnath ji Temple. A tour through the gallery transports you to a world that leaves you awestruck and wondering if even a fraction of it is possible in today’s time!
The overwhelming response provoked Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) to launch a catalogue for the gallery that could capture the splendor and make it available for the world to experience. The catalogue is a lavish visual representation of every object in the exhibition. It includes a detailed description of each object from its age to the purpose to how it was used and much more makes the catalogue comprehensive. Beautiful pictures of each object and those from the pictorial archives of the Maharanas of Mewar enliven the catalogue.
The catalogue is available for purchase with special discounts on bulk orders. Write to us at mmhpt@eternalmewar.in to order your copy now!
Ms. Rajni Dangi, Chairperson, Udaipur Municipal Council, Udaipur, Rajasthan, is soon to inaugurate a silver gallery ‘Splendour of Silver’ on 3rd March 2013. This gallery will showcase the finesse of silversmithing at Amar Mahal, The Zenana Mahal, The City Palace Museum, Udaipur. It will open for public viewing on 4th March and invites you to soak yourself in the opulence of silver and the glory of the earlier times.
The silvery showcase at ‘Splendour of Silver’ will put forward the grandeur of Indian royal weddings with the exquisite ‘mandap’ to the daily rituals including royal transport. Several unique objects such as the ‘Ram Rewari’ and religious items from the collection will be shown here for the first time.
Simple outside. Intricate at heart.
The Mughal influence can be prominently seen in items like the gulabpash (rose water sprinkler) and the surahis (decanter bottles) known locally as kunjis. Most of the other techniques seem to have local impact, including examples of pierced work and cladding, where silver sheets are used to cover the contours of wooden objects. Simpler aesthetic sensibilities dictate the design of the other items, perhaps purposefully so, as they were used in the daily prayer rituals at the Shree Eklingnath ji temple complex and monastery. For the creation of these objects, the craftsman deployed a combination of cold mechanical assemblage systems like flanging, riveting and screwing, and the common casting processes of heat including soldering. The final result was a collection of classic forms – simple, practical and devoid of any flamboyance. Sometimes simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!
Turning the silvery leaf of history
The foundation of the state of Mewar was laid down by Bappa Rawal. Since then, Shree Parameshwarji Maharaj, the presiding deity of Shree Eklingnath ji temple has been the family deity of the Maharanas of Mewar. Indeed, the Maharanas have considered themselves custodians in the service of Eklingji, with the deity being the real ruler of the state. Eklingji continues as the dynastic shrine for the House of Mewar and the spiritual bond has remained deep for centuries.
Even today, the court of Mewar maintains links with the wider realms of the world, both with other Rajput courts as well as with the Mughal establishment. Perhaps initiated in political and economic contexts, these connections still manifest in various art forms and continue to keep the nostalgia alive!
We would love to hear from you if you have any relevant information to add to this post or would like to visit ‘Splendour of Silver’. Feel free to leave us a comment here or write to us on festivals@eternalmewar.in
