Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art

Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art Established in 1976 by the artist-connoisseur couple Jagdish and Kamla Mittal, the Museum collection

Since the Museum does not have dedicated galleries to display its collection, objects can be seen only by prior appointment.

What makes a portrait linger in your mind?This drawing of a young woman, attributed to the Mughal artist Anup Chattar, i...
23/05/2025

What makes a portrait linger in your mind?

This drawing of a young woman, attributed to the Mughal artist Anup Chattar, is both delicately rendered and sharply observed. Her expression is calm but alert, her gaze thoughtful, not passive.

Portraits of women from the Mughal period are rarely identified and often remain anonymous. Yet this image doesn’t feel generic. The sitter’s presence is distinct, revealed through the careful rendering of her head, the soft treatment of her eyes, and the finely shaded line around her mouth.

Her jewellery adds to this quiet assertiveness: triple-pearl earrings cover her earlobe, a striking jeweled pendant rests at her neck, and fine strings of pearls frame her collar. These elements set her apart, offering clues to her individuality within the visual language of the court. The translucent odhani, edged with gold, lends grace and presence.

Some scholars believe this may be a preparatory study for a known painting of Gul Safa, a beloved of Prince Dara Shikoh. Whether or not she is Gul Safa, the drawing offers a rare and intimate glimpse into a world where observation and sensitivity mattered as much as ornament and style.

Attributed to Anup Chattar
Mughal, c. 1640–50
Black line and colour washes with slight charcoal sketching
28.8 x 19.5 cm

©️Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad


This year’s International Museum Day celebrates the role of museums in education and research.At the Jagdish and Kamla M...
18/05/2025

This year’s International Museum Day celebrates the role of museums in education and research.

At the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, this mission began with two connoisseurs whose lives were inseparable from the art they loved and preserved.

Founded as a public trust in 1976, the Museum is one of the earliest private collections in India which was established for public benefit. It reflects the vision of Jagdish and Kamla Mittal, who were motivated not by fame or legacy, but by a desire to inspire future generations.

Over the years, the Museum has shared its research through path-breaking publications, lending its objects to international exhibitions and catalogues that continue to shape the field of Indian art history.

This post is a tribute to their shared journey, and a reminder of how personal dedication can become public good.

He visits my town once a year.He fills my mouth with kisses and nectar.I spend all my money on him.Who, girl, your man?N...
03/05/2025

He visits my town once a year.
He fills my mouth with kisses and nectar.
I spend all my money on him.
Who, girl, your man?
No, a mango.
—Amir Khusrau

Summer is here—and with it, the season of mangoes.

In this vivid detail from a painted scroll in the Museum’s collection, a lush mango tree forms the backdrop for the richly adorned Bhadravati as she awaits the arrival of Bhavana Rishi. Her companions tend to her shringar and comfort. One holds a mirror, another waves a fan, while others play music.

The air is thick with the scent of ripe mangoes. In the branches on top, birds, squirrels, and monkeys frolic in the branches. Swaying with golden fruit, they tease both the eye and the appetite.

What draws your eye—the mangoes, the mirror, or the mood?
Tell us in the comments below!

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Detail from a Markandeya and Bhavana Rishi Purana scroll
Vertical painting on cotton cloth divided into horizontal panels.
Made for the Padmasali (weaver) caste.
Inscribed in Telugu script in black ink at the bottom on the white ground.
Probably Warangal or Karimnagar district, Andhra Pradesh, c.1775-90.
Size: 1096 x 90 cm.
76.470. D 69

©️Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad

How far can an object travel?This carved kaskhul or beggar’s bowl carries with it a journey across oceans, cultures, and...
29/04/2025

How far can an object travel?

This carved kaskhul or beggar’s bowl carries with it a journey across oceans, cultures, and faiths.

Shaped from the rare coco de mer, a double-lobed coconut native to the Seychelles, this bowl may have drifted across the Indian Ocean before reaching the Malabar coast, where artisans transformed it into a kaskhul.

Traditionally carried by Sufi mystics to receive alms, kaskhul symbolized humility, faith, and renunciation of material life.

In a rare inscription, the maker’s name, ‘work of Mirza Muhammad Ali,’ along with the date of 1865 appears on the bowl. The precision in slicing the hard nut case into two and the intricate relief work demonstrate the craftsman’s skill. The hardwood of the nut is extremely difficult to carve, akin to carving ivory. The finely executed carving excels in both decorative design and calligraphic bands in the Nastaliq style.

Now on view at the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 in Jeddah, on loan from the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad.

Swipe to see more details.

©️Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad



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🖌️ What draws us to calligraphy when we can’t read the words?For Jagdish Mittal, the answer was clear: “Though I could n...
26/04/2025

🖌️ What draws us to calligraphy when we can’t read the words?

For Jagdish Mittal, the answer was clear:

“Though I could not read Arabic script, I found many examples of Islamic nastaliq calligraphy compelling for their precision, rhythm, overall abstract quality, and rich illumination.”

Guided by this sensibility, Mr. Mittal and his wife Kamla built a collection where beauty transcends language—where line, proportion, and visual harmony speak across time and culture.

✨ Now on view at the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 in Jeddah, two remarkable folios from the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art explore these very ideas (Image 2).

🖌️ One, by the foremost master Mir ‘Ali al-Husayni al-Katib al-Haravi (Image 3), shimmers with a field of golden ornament, where calligraphic lines unfold with lyrical grace. Born in Herat and later based in Bukhara, Mir ‘Ali’s work was widely sought after by Persian, Deccani, and Mughal royals and nobles. After his death, his children are believed to have migrated to India, carrying his writings with them—making his art especially revered across the subcontinent.

🖌️ The second, by Shah Mahmud al-Nishapuri (Image 4), exemplifies the flowing elegance of nastaliq script. Bestowed with the honorific title Zarin Qalam (“Golden Pen”), Shah Mahmud was one of the most acclaimed calligraphers of his time, alongside Mir ‘Ali.

✨ Image 5 invites a closer look—zooming in on the interplay between script and ornament. The surrounding illuminations, gilding, and arabesques are more than embellishment: they shape how a page is read and absorbed. The jewel-toned cornerpieces on Shah Mahmud’s folio heighten the visual rhythm of the verses.

The simple scrollwork on Mir ‘Ali’s page with roughly coloured flowers is typical of mid-16th century illumination work in Bukhara. The verse, signed “The poor ’Ali the scribe”, expresses the humility of the calligrapher before his art.

✨ These works remind us that beauty in Islamic calligraphy lies not just in language, but in form itself—a quiet geometry of faith, poetry, and artistic imagination.

𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧🔢 How did the Art of Numbers translate into design?⁣At the ongoing Islamic Arts Bien...
22/04/2025

𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

🔢 How did the Art of Numbers translate into design?
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At the ongoing Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, three Bidriware objects from the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art are displayed in the AlMadar section (image 2), demonstrating how geometry, precision, and proportion shape visual harmony.
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📐At first glance, the gleaming surface of Bidriware may seem purely ornamental — but look closer, and a world of mathematical precision reveals itself.
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The tray (image 3) draws the viewer into a world of radial geometry: 24 lappets encircle the tray, 24 floral bands bloom in symmetry, and even the smallest floral motifs are all executed with algorithmic precision.
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The ewer (image 4) repeats a five-petal flower in perfect rhythm across its curved form, while the ho**ah base (images 5 and 6) shows how even ornamentation is governed by proportion and balance.
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✨ These works speak directly to the Biennale’s curatorial vision “Reflecting Beauty & Harmony”, where numbers manifest not only in structure, but in the quiet elegance of form. Through rhythm, repetition, and refinement, Bidri artisans translated numerical precision into visual poetry.
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Crafted in an alloy of zinc and copper, inlaid with silver and brass, Bidriware is a hallmark of Deccani metalwork.
⁣
📍Have you visited the Biennale yet? Tag us in your photos from Jeddah — we’d love to see your highlights.



©️Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad

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➡️ Follow us for more stories from our collection — and all that is in between.







✨🇮🇳 ✨ We are proud to share that the 𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭 is the only institution from India pa...
20/04/2025

✨🇮🇳 ✨ We are proud to share that the 𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐭 is the only institution from India participating in the 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓, currently ongoing in Jeddah till May.

Organised by the 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, this year’s Biennale is titled “𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧”. For the first time, it brings together over 30 partner institutions from around the world in a conversation about faith, form, and artistic expression across the Islamic world.

📐 Our museum’s objects reflect the role that numbers have played in arts and culture—emphasising the principles of proportion, geometry, and harmony—concepts explored in the Biennale’s curatorial theme 𝐀𝐥𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐫 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭). These works highlight the rich intersections of Islamic and Indian visual traditions.

We are deeply grateful to the 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦, 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐢, for facilitating this international loan, and to the curatorial team of the Biennale for including our museum in this important dialogue.

📜 In the coming days, we will be sharing a closer look at each object on display—offering insights into their material, history, and significance.

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We’re excited to announce the return of our annual international seminar, DAKHAN, happening from January 9–11, 2025, at ...
03/12/2024

We’re excited to announce the return of our annual international seminar, DAKHAN, happening from January 9–11, 2025, at Hotel Taj Krishna, Hyderabad!

Called Studies in Indian Painting and Textiles, the 3-day seminar, hosted by the Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art features distinguished experts from the field. Swipe right to see our speakers this year ➡️

Stay tuned for more updates on the programme, speakers and their topics in the coming weeks!

Registrations are open - please email [email protected] for more details.

JKMMIA, Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum, Hyderabad, Hyderabad Events, Events in Hyderabad, Indian Art, Indian Painting, Indian Textiles, museum

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