This grand palace complex of Jaipur houses some of the most beautiful palaces exhibiting the excellent examples of architecture. The harmony between different schools of architecture is highly appreciable and compels one to deeply admire the skilled artisans and craftsmen of that goneby era. Each style is exqusitively exhibited and seamlessly blends with the other schools of architecure without disrupting the harmony of the whole picture, and that is a feat none other than an artisan of highest standards can achieve.
Once the place proudly served as a residence of His Majesty The King, the head of Kachwaha Rajput Clan, The sovereign King of Jaipur. Till today a large part of the establishment is occupied by the royal descendents. City Palace is also famous for its well perserved artefacts belonging to royal era that can give you a peep into the daily life of those days.
The palace was initially built by the legendaru King and founder of Jaipur, Sawai Raja Jai Singh. The building was renovated by subsequent rulers who also added many new buildings in the complex representing various architecture styles.
The architectural excellence and excellent planning of the complex is attributed to 2 towering figires of their time: Chief architect Vidyasagar and Sir Jacob Sameuel. Apart from that the keen interest of Sawai Jaisingh and his excellent knowledge about various architecural attribites of different schools also helped. One can find here the excellent architectural works of Rajput, Mughal and European styles.
Entrance Gates
The richly decorated gates proudly stands to welcome the visitors: Udai Pol, Virendra Pol and Tripolia Gate. Out of whoch the last one is reserved for Royal Descendents only. The exquisitively decorated gateways exhibit the best artistic skills of the expert craftsmen.
Mubarak Mahal
As you will enter from the Vrendra Pol, the first building youwill encounter is Mubarak Mahal. uilt in 1975 century as a reception hall, the building presents the perfect blend of 3 distinct schools of architecture: Rajput, Mughal and European: A reflection of political and strategic inclination of Rajput Rulers. It shows the intense architectural knowledge and deep understanding of Raja Madho Singh II who built the palace. Once used to welcome the royal guests and family, the palace now serves as a museum showcasing various artefacts and attires of the Royal Era. Sanganeri Block Print, Different Royal costumes to suit various occassions: sports, war, leisure, nightwear is also displayed here. The richly emroidered shawls with intricate designs, Silk Saris and Kashmiri Pashmina give a perfect insight into the royal wardrobe. But the most noteworthy among all are the sets of "sprawling clothes" worn by Mahraja Madho Singh I who was 250 KG in weight and 3.9 feet wide. One literally has to go round several steps to be able to see the clothes properly.
Chandra Mahal
Chandra Mahal is perhaps the most popular building of the complex. The aesthetically refined seven storyed building also has a prominence as the residence of the present royal family of Jaipur. All the seven storeys have been given a specific name. The walls are decorated with floral designs and mirror work is simply amazing. The ground floor is the only portion of the palace that is open to the public. It houses a museum exhibiting various artefacts, paintings and manuscripts related to the erstwhile royal family. A beautiful Peacock gate welcomes the visitors of the Mahal while the screened balconies and a paviliion at the roof offers the bird's eye view of the city. A well planned garden and a turquoise lake further enhance aesthetics of the place with their scenic natural beauty.
Sukh Niwas
Bathed in the Royal Blue color. The grand dining and drawaing rooms with exquisite architecture and tastefully decorated leave the visitors spellbound. The mughal miniatures, Silver and glass lining reflect the height of
luxury enjoyed by erstwhile Royal Families. The palace is aptly named Sukh Niwas meaning The palace of Comfort. The soothing colors and interiors perefctly justifies the name as you will find an intense soothing effect as soon as you step in.
Shobha Niwas: Hall of Beauty as translated in English, this building is situated on the 4th floor and is a perfect example of aesthetics. The walls are beautifully decorated with mirror work presenting the changing hues giving a phantasmagorical effect. The blue tiles with intricate decoration of Mica and Gold Leaf add further glory to the whole picture.
Chhavi Niwas: Walking on the blue colored floor of this place is an experience to savour. The place served as the retreat for Mahraja during rains and peaceful ambience of the place gives a blissful exprience.
The flag on the Top of ChandraMahal is a unique symbol of erstwhile Rajput Kings. The one and quarter sized flag is unfurled when the Mahraja is at his residence and when he is away the flag is replaced by quen's flag. There is an interesting story attached to the "One and a Half qurter" size of the flag. It represents "Sawai" means "One and the Half". Legend is that when the Founder Mahraja of Jaipur Jaisingh II was getting married, the emperor Aurangzeb was also invited as a guest. He, according to their prevalent customs, shaked hands with the bridegroom to congratulate him. However, the gesture is interpreted differently in Rajput Customs. The clever bridegroom told the emperor that shaking hands made it incumbent on the emperor to protect him (Jai Singh) and his kingdom. The emperor was impressed by the cleverness, bravery and straightforwardness of the Raja and conferred him the title of "Sawai" means "One and the Half". That means the King's acumen and worth was estimated to be more than a single human being. Hence the "Sawai" became a title of the subsequent kings and the same was represented by the size of the royal flag too.
Pritam Niwas Chowk
This inner courtyard is the access point to the Chandra Mahal. The four smal gates here are well decorated representing the four seasons of India as well as various gods. Each gate is aptly decorated. The Northeast Peacock gate represents autumn is decorated with the beautiful motifs of Peacock that is considered as the bird of autumn. It is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. The summer is represented by the Southwest Lotis gate and is exiquisitely decorated with continual flower and petal pattern and is dedicated to Lor Shiva-Parvati, The Northwest gate is colored in green, rpresents spring and dedicated to Lor Ganesha while The winter is represented with the Rose gate with repeated flower patternand is dedicated to Goddess.
Diwan I Khas
The exclusive hall for "Noble Class" as the term loosely translates to is a place where luxury manifests itself in a most natural way. Here you can see the World's largest sterling silver vessels measuring 5.2 fet high and a whopping 340 KG in weight. Apart from the size, another unique characteristics that will make you gape in surprise is that the wole vessel was made without any soldering and in the process 14000 melted silver coins were used. The story behind the vessels too is equally interesting. It so happened that Mahraja Madho SIngh II, a religious Hindu, was also equally ineterested in western thoughts and philosphy too. So, he finally decided to visit England in 1901 on the ocassion of coronation of Edward VII. But he dod not wish to drink English Water and hence needed some Ganga jal or the water of Ganges for consumption while stay at England. That's how these 2 vessels were made especially to store the pure water of Ganges. Of course, there are many more collectibles and artefacts to see in the Diwan I Khaas.
Diwan i Aam
This beautiful establishment with Red and Gold colored ceilings was used as public audience but now has been transformed to an art gallery showcasing some of the best paintings, manuscripts, embroidered rugs etc. A unique sense of "affinity to royalty" dawns on us as soon as we step in. The mind is enticed into thinking as if the royal people along with His Majesty are still present in the building. The paintings show the pinnacle of artistic excellence. While the architecture make a distinct place in your heart. The Golden Throne also called Takht-e-Rawal) that one can see in the art gallery is the seat of Mahraja while attending public audience. The same seat was either mounted on elephants or carried by palanquin bearers whenever Mahraja went out of the palace.
Mahrani Palace
As the name suggests it was the residence of queens during royal time but now is converted to a museum displaying mainly weapons. Some unique weapons are worth mentioning like scisssor action dragger with its "diembowelling function, pistols attached swords, guns hidden in walking sticks and much more.
Bhaggi Khana
Here you can find various old palanquins carriages and "indianised" European cabs. But the most notable among all is Victoria Bhaggi that was presented by the Prince of Wales in 1876 to the erstwhileMahraja of JaipurApart from Mahrajas's palanquins and bhaggis, there are some othr bhuggies that were used by proests during rekigious processions.
Gobind Dev Ji Tmple
Dedicated to one of the most reverred figure of Indian religion, Krishna, the temple is the best example of spirituality. The indian art paintings and european chandeliers, the "Palace of God" looks just perfect. The grand temple is the best exanmple if architectural excellence
Once the place proudly served as a residence of His Majesty The King, the head of Kachwaha Rajput Clan, The sovereign King of Jaipur. Till today a large part of the establishment is occupied by the royal descendents. City Palace is also famous for its well perserved artefacts belonging to royal era that can give you a peep into the daily life of those days.
The palace was initially built by the legendaru King and founder of Jaipur, Sawai Raja Jai Singh. The building was renovated by subsequent rulers who also added many new buildings in the complex representing various architecture styles.
The architectural excellence and excellent planning of the complex is attributed to 2 towering figires of their time: Chief architect Vidyasagar and Sir Jacob Sameuel. Apart from that the keen interest of Sawai Jaisingh and his excellent knowledge about various architecural attribites of different schools also helped. One can find here the excellent architectural works of Rajput, Mughal and European styles.
Entrance Gates
The richly decorated gates proudly stands to welcome the visitors: Udai Pol, Virendra Pol and Tripolia Gate. Out of whoch the last one is reserved for Royal Descendents only. The exquisitively decorated gateways exhibit the best artistic skills of the expert craftsmen.
Mubarak Mahal
As you will enter from the Vrendra Pol, the first building youwill encounter is Mubarak Mahal. uilt in 1975 century as a reception hall, the building presents the perfect blend of 3 distinct schools of architecture: Rajput, Mughal and European: A reflection of political and strategic inclination of Rajput Rulers. It shows the intense architectural knowledge and deep understanding of Raja Madho Singh II who built the palace. Once used to welcome the royal guests and family, the palace now serves as a museum showcasing various artefacts and attires of the Royal Era. Sanganeri Block Print, Different Royal costumes to suit various occassions: sports, war, leisure, nightwear is also displayed here. The richly emroidered shawls with intricate designs, Silk Saris and Kashmiri Pashmina give a perfect insight into the royal wardrobe. But the most noteworthy among all are the sets of "sprawling clothes" worn by Mahraja Madho Singh I who was 250 KG in weight and 3.9 feet wide. One literally has to go round several steps to be able to see the clothes properly.
Chandra Mahal
Chandra Mahal is perhaps the most popular building of the complex. The aesthetically refined seven storyed building also has a prominence as the residence of the present royal family of Jaipur. All the seven storeys have been given a specific name. The walls are decorated with floral designs and mirror work is simply amazing. The ground floor is the only portion of the palace that is open to the public. It houses a museum exhibiting various artefacts, paintings and manuscripts related to the erstwhile royal family. A beautiful Peacock gate welcomes the visitors of the Mahal while the screened balconies and a paviliion at the roof offers the bird's eye view of the city. A well planned garden and a turquoise lake further enhance aesthetics of the place with their scenic natural beauty.
Sukh Niwas
Bathed in the Royal Blue color. The grand dining and drawaing rooms with exquisite architecture and tastefully decorated leave the visitors spellbound. The mughal miniatures, Silver and glass lining reflect the height of
luxury enjoyed by erstwhile Royal Families. The palace is aptly named Sukh Niwas meaning The palace of Comfort. The soothing colors and interiors perefctly justifies the name as you will find an intense soothing effect as soon as you step in.
Shobha Niwas: Hall of Beauty as translated in English, this building is situated on the 4th floor and is a perfect example of aesthetics. The walls are beautifully decorated with mirror work presenting the changing hues giving a phantasmagorical effect. The blue tiles with intricate decoration of Mica and Gold Leaf add further glory to the whole picture.
Chhavi Niwas: Walking on the blue colored floor of this place is an experience to savour. The place served as the retreat for Mahraja during rains and peaceful ambience of the place gives a blissful exprience.
The flag on the Top of ChandraMahal is a unique symbol of erstwhile Rajput Kings. The one and quarter sized flag is unfurled when the Mahraja is at his residence and when he is away the flag is replaced by quen's flag. There is an interesting story attached to the "One and a Half qurter" size of the flag. It represents "Sawai" means "One and the Half". Legend is that when the Founder Mahraja of Jaipur Jaisingh II was getting married, the emperor Aurangzeb was also invited as a guest. He, according to their prevalent customs, shaked hands with the bridegroom to congratulate him. However, the gesture is interpreted differently in Rajput Customs. The clever bridegroom told the emperor that shaking hands made it incumbent on the emperor to protect him (Jai Singh) and his kingdom. The emperor was impressed by the cleverness, bravery and straightforwardness of the Raja and conferred him the title of "Sawai" means "One and the Half". That means the King's acumen and worth was estimated to be more than a single human being. Hence the "Sawai" became a title of the subsequent kings and the same was represented by the size of the royal flag too.
Pritam Niwas Chowk
This inner courtyard is the access point to the Chandra Mahal. The four smal gates here are well decorated representing the four seasons of India as well as various gods. Each gate is aptly decorated. The Northeast Peacock gate represents autumn is decorated with the beautiful motifs of Peacock that is considered as the bird of autumn. It is dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. The summer is represented by the Southwest Lotis gate and is exiquisitely decorated with continual flower and petal pattern and is dedicated to Lor Shiva-Parvati, The Northwest gate is colored in green, rpresents spring and dedicated to Lor Ganesha while The winter is represented with the Rose gate with repeated flower patternand is dedicated to Goddess.
Diwan I Khas
The exclusive hall for "Noble Class" as the term loosely translates to is a place where luxury manifests itself in a most natural way. Here you can see the World's largest sterling silver vessels measuring 5.2 fet high and a whopping 340 KG in weight. Apart from the size, another unique characteristics that will make you gape in surprise is that the wole vessel was made without any soldering and in the process 14000 melted silver coins were used. The story behind the vessels too is equally interesting. It so happened that Mahraja Madho SIngh II, a religious Hindu, was also equally ineterested in western thoughts and philosphy too. So, he finally decided to visit England in 1901 on the ocassion of coronation of Edward VII. But he dod not wish to drink English Water and hence needed some Ganga jal or the water of Ganges for consumption while stay at England. That's how these 2 vessels were made especially to store the pure water of Ganges. Of course, there are many more collectibles and artefacts to see in the Diwan I Khaas.
Diwan i Aam
This beautiful establishment with Red and Gold colored ceilings was used as public audience but now has been transformed to an art gallery showcasing some of the best paintings, manuscripts, embroidered rugs etc. A unique sense of "affinity to royalty" dawns on us as soon as we step in. The mind is enticed into thinking as if the royal people along with His Majesty are still present in the building. The paintings show the pinnacle of artistic excellence. While the architecture make a distinct place in your heart. The Golden Throne also called Takht-e-Rawal) that one can see in the art gallery is the seat of Mahraja while attending public audience. The same seat was either mounted on elephants or carried by palanquin bearers whenever Mahraja went out of the palace.
Mahrani Palace
As the name suggests it was the residence of queens during royal time but now is converted to a museum displaying mainly weapons. Some unique weapons are worth mentioning like scisssor action dragger with its "diembowelling function, pistols attached swords, guns hidden in walking sticks and much more.
Bhaggi Khana
Here you can find various old palanquins carriages and "indianised" European cabs. But the most notable among all is Victoria Bhaggi that was presented by the Prince of Wales in 1876 to the erstwhileMahraja of JaipurApart from Mahrajas's palanquins and bhaggis, there are some othr bhuggies that were used by proests during rekigious processions.
Gobind Dev Ji Tmple
Dedicated to one of the most reverred figure of Indian religion, Krishna, the temple is the best example of spirituality. The indian art paintings and european chandeliers, the "Palace of God" looks just perfect. The grand temple is the best exanmple if architectural excellence
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