Those with the means to do so must visit the famous Crystal Gallery in Udaipur to gaze at some of the unique masterpieces, if only to appreciate what a pair of hands can achieve in its quest of chiselling such alluring marvels, writes Sonal Prakash
Recently on a visit to Udaipur someone suggested that I must make a stopover at the famous Crystal Gallery. On a previous trip to this picturesque city, I had deliberately cancelled a visit to the gallery, as I was travelling on a shoestring budget. Then a student, I did not have enough money to buy the high-priced tickets to this beguiling corner, tucked away in the famous City Palace of Udaipur. Fortunately, on this visit there was no such inhibition and I could tour the gallery without feeling the guilt about being a bit extravagant.
Opened to visitors in 1994, the gallery is accommodated in Fateh Prakash Palace, which is an extension of the City Palace of Udaipur. like many such palaces in Rajasthan, this royal residence, too, has been redesigned as a luxury hotel.
Frankly, on entering the gallery, I was not prepared for the sight that awaited me. ‘Bewitched’ is the only word I can think of for describing my reaction on seeing the gallery for the first time. The sparkle of the crystals was blinding as I started getting used to all the glitter and glimmer enveloping me. The variety of objects on display made for a breathtakingly beautiful view leaving me marvelling at the clever craftsmanship. For instance, the queen-sized bed made of crystal — perhaps only one of its kind — immediately drew my attention although I could not help thinking how anyone could possibly be comfortable sleeping on it.
Another fascinating object was the crystal carpet with precious stones embedded in it. Even though walking on it would have been a trifle difficult, the cunning workmanship was praiseworthy. The other artefacts included crockery — particularly beautiful was one tea set made in red crystal — chandeliers, other furniture such as sofas, dressers and dining tables. Other crystal items on display were fountains, washing bowls, decanters, perfume bottles, etc. These and many more objects made for a very interesting and attractive display.
This enormous collection of crystals was packed away in boxes and recovered only in 1994. Its packing material was torn off after more than a hundred years; its worth estimated not very long ago. The present head of the Mewar royal family, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, realised that this vast collection was no less than a treasure, and perhaps only one of its kind. It was then put on display for the visitors to admire, albeit in return of a hefty sum. The visitors to this gallery would do well to take an audio guide tour which would regale them with historical anecdotes about how the current custodian of the House of Mewar conceived the plan for opening the gallery after the crystals were unpacked.
The person who took the initiative in ordering the manufacture of this assortment of crystals was Maharaja Sajjan Singh of Mewar. He was at the helm between the years 1874 and 1884. The Maharaja delved in music and poetry. Extremely artistic in taste, he was in effect an extremely cultured person. He placed an order with the famous Birmingham based F&C Osler company. Most of the artefacts on display in the gallery have been manufactured by this company. The firm was renowned for its crystal-making, mostly luxury pieces, such as perfume bottles or dinner sets. The firm was founded in 1807 and went on to monopolise the market of crystal products especially during the Victorian era. Osler made ostensible strides towards innovating the cut glass industry. The concept of vast-sized crystal products such as chandeliers can be credited to this company.
let us go back a bit and see how and why this industry emerged. Even though glass had been in use for ages to construct windows, utensils, decorations and lighting, it was only in the second half of the 19th century that crystal artefacts became popular. Today, of course, it is hardly an exception when one sees glittering crystal chandeliers, cabinets, wall shelves and tables, but these things were uncommon 200 years ago. Coming across a foot-rest made of gleaming crystal must have been a rare and fascinating site in those times. However, in the absence of customers and ignorance of techniques to make such items made their demand and supply limited. This changed, however, in the last half of the 19th century.
This period was followed by an exceptional era in furniture design. Not much is known about this revolutionary period when the Europeans began to craft crystal items to cater to the lavish tastes of the Indian royalty. At a time when the Indian manufacturers sculpted products for the Westerners it was quite remarkable that the Indian maharajas, to some extent, reversed this trend. European artisans custom-designed household objects made out of glass such as sofas, chairs, cabinets and huge chandeliers to suit the tastes of the Indian elite. The Crystal Gallery celebrates this unique trend, as do other royals, such as those from the houses of Gwalior and Patiala. And they can hardly be blamed for doing so; the very sight of a chair sparkling in the manner of a gemstone, and the thought of sitting on it, must have caught the imagination of the patrons of this craft, who first came upon such furniture in the mid to late 19th century.
F&C Osler of Birmingham was one of the companies that provided most of the glass furniture to the royal retreats. It is noteworthy that since Maharaja Sajjan Singh wanted his crystals to be designed after the traditional Indian fashion; wooden models of all the items were sent to the company, which then had to be replicated in crystal. Unfortunately the premature demise of the Maharaja did not allow him to see the result of the order that he had placed with F&C Osler. The reason why the royal family of Mewar decided not to use this collection for private purposes was that since the collection had not behoved well for one who had desired to use it in his lifetime, making use of it now did not seem auspicious enough. Hence the construction of the gallery.
The Crystal Gallery overlooks the Darbar Hall at the Fateh Prakash Palace hotel. This hall is of a particular historical significance. In 1909, lord Minto, the Viceroy of India, laid its foundation stone. Its plush décor and magical lighting, portraits of the Maharanas of Mewar, royal artefacts and the legendary armoury of the Mewar dynasty — take you back to the times when the Maharanas held their conferences in the hall.
The Darbar Hall is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent and impressive meeting halls in the country due to its sheer size and opulence. The huge chandelier, which hangs in the middle of the hall, is awe-inspiring. The hall dates back to the early 20th century, when Maharana Fateh Singhji ruled over Udaipur.
As the time came to depart from the gallery, I found myself in complete daze. However, there was another thought in my mind. It is indeed intriguing how the royalty would go to any length to realise its whims and fancies despite the cost and trouble it took to fulfil such desires. The Crystal Gallery, it seems, is a product of one such whim. However, those with the means to do so must visit it, at least once in their lifetime, to gaze at these unique and twinkling masterpieces, if only to appreciate what just a pair of hands can achieve in its quest of chiselling such alluring marvels.