City Palace of Jaipur

City Palace Tours

City Palace was built by Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber between 1729 and 1732 and later additions were made by successive rulers till the 20th century. It is an arresting complex of several palaces, pavilions, gardens and temples. Today, it is more of a museum than a palace though the royal family still live there.

The museum was established in the year 1959 by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Today, hordes of tourists from all over the world visit to acquaint themselves with the cultural nuances of the Rajput era. The museum, earlier Diwan-E-Aam or the Hall of Public Audience, has three main sections: the Arms Gallery, the Textile Gallery in Mubarak Mahal and the Art Gallery in the Diwan Khana. Also worth seeing are the eight exotic mid-17th century carpets. The Museum also houses one of India’s largest chandeliers.

The Palace is surrounded by high walls (sarahad) and entry is from Virendra Pol and Udai Pol while the Tripolia Gate is for the royal family alone. The City Palace is a splendid mix of Rajasthani and the Mughal style of architecture. If you want to see the elegant costume worn by the Maharajas, then Mubarak Mahal or the Auspicious Palace has a huge collection on display.

The grandest area is the Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace), a seven-storeyed structure where most part is occupied by the royal family. Visitors can see the ground and the first floor that form a part of the Sawai Man Singh II Museum. Shobha Niwas on the fourth floor is extraordinarily beautiful adorned with mirrors, gold leaf and mica all over. Entry to Chandra Mahal is through a beautiful peacock gate with screened balconies and a pavilion at the roof. Before the gate is a beautiful courtyard, Pitam Niwas Chowk, that has four small gates (Ridhi Sidhi Pol) decorated with themes representing the four seasons.

The Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience houses two silver urns that are considered largest in the world. This is another big attraction of the palace as well as the grand brass door. The Maharani palace, now a museum, displays weapons used by the royalty during war campaigns and the ceiling of this chamber is splashed with unique frescoes preserved using jewel dust of semiprecious stones.

At the Jai Niwas Garden stands the highly revered Rajput temple Shri Govindji. The temple is lined up with numerous fountains that add to the overall beauty.