Emperor Jehangir on a lion hunt Emperor Jehangir on a lion hunt

The Museum has a unique collection of dioramas which were an important medium for education in the absence of film or video during late 19th to early 20th century. Aspects of Indian lifestyle and episodes from historical or mythological narratives were popular subjects of such dioramas. This theatrical diorama depicts the Mughal Emperor Jehangir engaged in the royal sport of 'shikar' or a hunt. A favorite royal past time, shikar was a popular subject of Mughal School miniature paintings, and is seen here in a rare three-dimensional form. Based on a painting titled 'Jahangir showing his hunting skill to Prince Karan' (c.1615 A.D, housed at the Indian Museum Kolkata), the chief characters in the diorama are Emperor Jehangir, his son Prince Khurram or Shah Jahan and Prince Karan Singh of Mewar who was a guest at the Mughal court.