Maharaja Ranjit Singh Museum is a popular museum situated in the middle of a beautiful Ram Bagh Garden in Amritsar. One of the top tourist attractions in Amritsar. The Ram Bagh Palace was converted into a museum in 1977 and has an interesting collection of archival records from the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, including the attire worn by Sikh warriors, paintings, miniatures, coins, and weapons. The museum offers insights into the life of the Sikh monarch Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Museum displays objects connecting to Maharaja Ranjit Singh such as arms and armour, outstanding paintings and century’s old coins and manuscripts. This remarkable feature is housed in a large two-storied circular building and features a magnificent painting depicting six of his major battles on the upper level. The paintings displayed in the galleries of the museum showcase the court and camp of the king. Among all the paintings, one that depicts the city of Lahore is most famous. Coins and manuscripts displayed at the museum reflect the spirit of secularism in the king and rich history of Sikh province, respectively. The arms and ammunition section of the Museum shows a rich collection of weapons, which were prevalent among the great warriors of that time. Next to this museum stands the beautiful Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, an eternal visual record which encapsulates the life of the Maharaja. The Parwana by Maharaja Ranjit Singh to Raja of Kapurthala is one of the major attractions of the Museum.
The project is named as ''Punjab State War Heroes Memorial & Museum''. Its attraction is 45 meters high Sword erected in the central vista of the museum having 8 galleries depicting the sacrifices and heroic deeds from the period of Guru Hargobind Singh Ji to the period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and up to the till Kargil operations:
Orientation and Antiquity
It features a cutting-edge gallery where visitors can view Punjab's martial history and military campaigns. It was constructed using both traditional and modern architectural styles. A blend of traditional architecture and modern style, the memorial houses nine state-of-the-art galleries built to showcase Punjab's martial tradition and military campaigns from the era of Sri Guru Hargobind Singh Ji, through the rise of the Sikh empire, Anglo-Sikh wars to post-Independence wars and operations till Operation Parakram in 2002 through photographs, illustrations, paintings, artifacts, weapons and interactive panels.
The central edifice of the stunning project is a 45 m high stainless steel sword that symbolises the power and bravery of the Punjabi people in defending their country during a time of need.
Apart from the memorial, the campus exhibits pictures of the brave soldiers, their brief bio-data, a MiG-23 and a model of the decommissioned aircraft carrier ship, INS Vikrant, three tanks have also been displayed - a 'Sherman' Pakistani tank which was captured in 1965 by India's 7th Light Cavalry, a Pakistani 'Patton' tank that the Indian Army secured in 1971 and India's Centurion Tank that figured prominently in the 1965 and 1971 Wars. A mural also has been built to commemorate the Battle of Saragarhi and the names of the 21 Sikh martyrs of the battle have been engraved on it.
The boundary wall of the memorial has been constructed with Nanakshahi bricks. Its landscaping reflects three different war zones from pre-British era, British era and post-independent era. A special light and sound show is also be a part of the memorial. The campus also has a 7D auditorium, facilitating an almost realistic experience of different war zones.
Gobindgarh fort (Kilha)is the symbol of Punjab, a character of the times when Punjab was forged. Spread across a grand 43 acres, right in the heart of Amritsar city. This magnificent heritage site has a glorious history of its own. It spans 263 years, right from the era of the Bhangi Misl to Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the British East India Company to the Indian Army. Now finally, it opens its gates to the people of Punjab. Despite being under restoration, the Gobindgarh Fort has gained popularity in such a short time and has become one of the best places. Due to its importance in Amritsar’s history. Many visitors have already declared it one of India's best places. Things to watch at Gobindgarh Fort.
Arbar Hall: once served as a hospital and later converted into an officers’ mess during the occupation of the Indian army.
War Museam housed inside the Anglo Sikh Bungalow aka Colonial Bungalow, where you can see rare war instruments and replicas of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s personal sword as well as the Zamzama, the largest cannon of its time.
Pagri Museum: where interesting forms of turbans from across Punjab are kept on display.
Toshakhana: a domed structure that once served as the treasury of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It was where he kept the famous Kohinoor diamond. At present, it houses a coin museum displaying a remarkable collection of old and rare coins.
Gates: that once provided multi-level entrance checks such that the army could make surprise attacks in case the fort came under invasion.
Sikh Art Museum: Houses a rich collection of paintings depicting the warriors and saints of Punjab.
Haat Bazar: a vibrant market place where you can shop for souvenirs and handicrafts.
Zaika Galil: A Food joint housed within the fort where you get lip-smacking street grubs including Golgappe, Tikki Chat.
Khas Mehal or Coffee House: a building that exhibits distinct architectural elements from the Sikh and colonial eras.
Khas Mehal or Coffee House: a building that exhibits distinct architectural elements from the Sikh and colonial eras.
Pul Kanjari is located around 35kms from Amritsar, on the road to Lahore. Now, it lies 5kms away from the infamous Wagah border. It is claimed to be one of many historical heritage sites built by art aficionado Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The site served as a stopover for the Maharaja and his royal entourage while they travelled between Lahore and Amritsar.
In the 18th century, Pul Kanjari was a significant commerce centre. It was named after a little bridge built over the canal connecting Amritsar and Lahore by Maharaja Ranjit Singh for his favourite dancer Moran, an artiste from the adjacent village of Makhanpura.
The myth surrounding this pul (bridge) is that the king got it constructed for a dancer in his court, Moran. When she was crossing the canal, one of her shoes fell into the water and she coaxed the king to construct a bridge for her to cross it.
Like other structures, the bulk of the structure is made of Nanakshahi bricks, having lesser width and thickness, allowing more detailed work to be done. This sets a sandy, dusky hue as the overtone for the place, fresco details can be seen in the exterior walls also. However, the bridge is hardly what the attraction of the site is.