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The City Palace Jaipur
Rajasthan is an incredible land dotted with fascinating attractions. Located in the heart of the walled city, The City Palace Complex gives you an idea about the far sightedness of the founder of Jaipur Sawai Jai Singh. The palace is blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture and the royal family still lives in a part of the palace. Some very delicate miniature paintings in Rajasthani, Mughal and Persian schools on various themes including the Ramayana are some very engrossing displays. Visitors must also take a good at preserved painted ceilings. Also on display are elephant saddles called haudha.
City Palace is one of the most predominant landmarks of Jaipur. City Palace is a perfect illustration of architecture, art and craft structure. This magnificent palace exhibits museum which has a rich collection of royal costumes and a display of the Rajput weaponry. Other attractions of the City Palace Complex are Textile, Art Gallery, Chhavi Nivas, Mukut Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple. To accommodate tourists coming from all over the world visiting Jaipur and all other near attractions it offers hotels that will suit to all budgets. It offers luxury to cheap hotels which are equipped with all the modern amenities and facilities. The City Palace is a complex of buildings, palaces, pavilions, temples and gardens. The most outstanding parts of the whole prominent complex are Mukut Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, Maharani’s Palace and the City Palace Museum. Of course it is almost impossible to visit all of them and enjoy the beauty of their architecture in a day. That’s why it’s better to plan the route beforehand.
You’d better start sightseeing with the Entrance gates which have rich decoration that will certainly impress your imagination. Then you may visit Mubarak Mahal (the ‘Auspicious Palace’ – from Indian) which mixes three architectural styles: Rajput, Islamic and European. Chandra Mahal is the next place to see. This seven-storey building includes unique paintings, floral decorations and wonderful mirror works. Nowadays Chandra Mahal serves as the residence for the former Jaipur rulers. That’s why only the ground floor is allowed for visiting. In Chandra Mahal you’ll also find a fantastic inner courtyard where four different gates represent four different seasons: the Peacock Gate is associated with autumn, the Green Gate – with summer, the Leheriya gate – with spring, the Rose Gate – with winter. Each gate is decorated with various kinds of flowers.
Another place which will impress you is Maharani Palace that was the royal queens’ residence. Now it is a museum that has an unbelievably rich collection of ancient weapons, including guns, pistols, swords, blades, etc. But if you want to see old carriages, European cabs or palanquins the Bhaggi Khana museum is the place you must go to. The City Palace in Jaipur is the place one should ever see in his life to be fascinated with great history and rich culture of, perhaps, the most amazing country in the world called India.
The most famous attractions of the Palace are
Mubarak Mahal
The first chamber that one comes across when one enters from through the Birendra Pole from Tripolia Gate is the Mubarak Mahal (Auspicious Palace). Built in the late 19th century by Maharaja Madho Singh II, it houses a wide variety of textiles (such as the royal formal costumes, sanganeri block prints, embroidered shawls, Kashmiri pashminas and silk saris) and forms part of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The Mubarak Mahal is used as a reception lounge for foreign dignitaries.
Diwan-I-Khas and Diwan-I-Aam
The magnificent brass gateway of the Mubarak Mahal leads to a courtyard where one can find the Diwan-I-Khas or 'Hall of Private Audience'. Here two enormous silver vessels catch the eye. These are the largest vessels known in the world. Next comes the 'Diwan-E-Aam' or the 'Hall of Public Audience'. Done up in a rich red and gold, this chamber holds on display a variety of embroidered rugs and carpets, miniature paintings and ancient texts. The Ridhi Sidhi Pol is the name given to the four small gates adorned with themes representing the four seasons.
Sihel Khana
Beyond the Pitam Niwas courtyard stands the Ananda Mandir. The halls here hold arms and weapons of the Rajput kings. Nearby are the Sarvatobhadra or the Sarvata and the Art Gallery previously used as the Sabha-Niwas.
Chandra Niwas
The Chandra Niwas, standing to the west is an imposing palace and various parts of this seven-storyed building are called Sukh-Niwas, Ranga-Mandir, Pitam-Niwas, Chabi-Niwas, Shri-Niwas and Mukut-Mandir.
Govindji Temple
Opposite the Chandra Niwas stands the Badal Niwas and in between lies the Jai Niwas Garden. The Govindji temple stands in this garden.
City Palace is one of the most predominant landmarks of Jaipur. City Palace is a perfect illustration of architecture, art and craft structure. This magnificent palace exhibits museum which has a rich collection of royal costumes and a display of the Rajput weaponry. Other attractions of the City Palace Complex are Textile, Art Gallery, Chhavi Nivas, Mukut Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple. To accommodate tourists coming from all over the world visiting Jaipur and all other near attractions it offers hotels that will suit to all budgets. It offers luxury to cheap hotels which are equipped with all the modern amenities and facilities. The City Palace is a complex of buildings, palaces, pavilions, temples and gardens. The most outstanding parts of the whole prominent complex are Mukut Mahal, Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, Maharani’s Palace and the City Palace Museum. Of course it is almost impossible to visit all of them and enjoy the beauty of their architecture in a day. That’s why it’s better to plan the route beforehand.
You’d better start sightseeing with the Entrance gates which have rich decoration that will certainly impress your imagination. Then you may visit Mubarak Mahal (the ‘Auspicious Palace’ – from Indian) which mixes three architectural styles: Rajput, Islamic and European. Chandra Mahal is the next place to see. This seven-storey building includes unique paintings, floral decorations and wonderful mirror works. Nowadays Chandra Mahal serves as the residence for the former Jaipur rulers. That’s why only the ground floor is allowed for visiting. In Chandra Mahal you’ll also find a fantastic inner courtyard where four different gates represent four different seasons: the Peacock Gate is associated with autumn, the Green Gate – with summer, the Leheriya gate – with spring, the Rose Gate – with winter. Each gate is decorated with various kinds of flowers.
Another place which will impress you is Maharani Palace that was the royal queens’ residence. Now it is a museum that has an unbelievably rich collection of ancient weapons, including guns, pistols, swords, blades, etc. But if you want to see old carriages, European cabs or palanquins the Bhaggi Khana museum is the place you must go to. The City Palace in Jaipur is the place one should ever see in his life to be fascinated with great history and rich culture of, perhaps, the most amazing country in the world called India.
The most famous attractions of the Palace are
Mubarak Mahal
The first chamber that one comes across when one enters from through the Birendra Pole from Tripolia Gate is the Mubarak Mahal (Auspicious Palace). Built in the late 19th century by Maharaja Madho Singh II, it houses a wide variety of textiles (such as the royal formal costumes, sanganeri block prints, embroidered shawls, Kashmiri pashminas and silk saris) and forms part of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The Mubarak Mahal is used as a reception lounge for foreign dignitaries.
Diwan-I-Khas and Diwan-I-Aam
The magnificent brass gateway of the Mubarak Mahal leads to a courtyard where one can find the Diwan-I-Khas or 'Hall of Private Audience'. Here two enormous silver vessels catch the eye. These are the largest vessels known in the world. Next comes the 'Diwan-E-Aam' or the 'Hall of Public Audience'. Done up in a rich red and gold, this chamber holds on display a variety of embroidered rugs and carpets, miniature paintings and ancient texts. The Ridhi Sidhi Pol is the name given to the four small gates adorned with themes representing the four seasons.
Sihel Khana
Beyond the Pitam Niwas courtyard stands the Ananda Mandir. The halls here hold arms and weapons of the Rajput kings. Nearby are the Sarvatobhadra or the Sarvata and the Art Gallery previously used as the Sabha-Niwas.
Chandra Niwas
The Chandra Niwas, standing to the west is an imposing palace and various parts of this seven-storyed building are called Sukh-Niwas, Ranga-Mandir, Pitam-Niwas, Chabi-Niwas, Shri-Niwas and Mukut-Mandir.
Govindji Temple
Opposite the Chandra Niwas stands the Badal Niwas and in between lies the Jai Niwas Garden. The Govindji temple stands in this garden.