City Palace Jaipur

Tourist Information On City Palace Jaipur. The City Palace In Jaipur Rajasthan Is A Showpiece Of Traditional Rajasthani And Mughal Art And Architecture.

Place: Jaipur

Attraction: City Palace

Best time to visit: October to February

Timings: 0930 to 1630 hrs.

Rajasthan Forts And Palaces - Jaipur - City Palace

Jaipur, The Pink City, is well known for its numerous forts and palaces. Among these, the City Palace has the pride of place for beautiful amalgamation of Rajasthani and Mughal styles of architecture and painting. It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs but several additions have been carried out by the subsequent generations. The same clan is also credited with the Amber Fort of Jaipur. Housing several palatial structures divided into numerous courtyards, gardens and buildings, the City Palace is spread over a large area.

Inside The City Palace

Some of the smaller palaces and halls inside the complex are Chandra Mahal, Mubarak Mahal and Badal Mahal. There is also a famous temple called the Shri Govind Temple. Now the palace has been converted into a fine museum housing a notable collection of textiles, manuscripts, paintings and weapons. Two massive silver urns, believed to be the largest silver vessels in the world and Nakkarkhana-ka-Darwaza, the imposing gateway of the City Palace guarded by stone elephants, are worthy of a dekko. The silver urns also find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records! These vessels were specially made for Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II to carry water from the Holy River Ganga to drink on his trip to England, as being a devout Hindu he could not drink the English water!

Chandra Mahal or the Moon Palace is a magnificent seven storied building with paintings, mirror work on walls, and floral engraving. The Chandra Mahal commands a view of the palace gardens and the Jaipur city. The paintings are miniatures in Rajasthani, Mughal and Persian schools. The armoury in the museum has ingenious and tricky weapons of Rajput warriors dating back to the 15th century. It also has dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur on display. Each storey of the Chandra Mahal has a name and is furnished in beauty and opulence. The uppermost storey is called the Mukut Mahal or the Crown Palace.

Mubarak Mahal was built by Maharaja Madho Singh. Its carved marble gate with heavy brass doors on either side opens to the 'Diwan-E-Khas' or the 'Hall Of Private Audience' with a marble paved gallery. On the other side of the paved square is the 'Diwan-E-Am' or the 'Hall Of Public Audience'. Its walls are decorated with manuscripts in Persian and Sanskrit. A clock tower and a new Mubarak Mahal complete the picture here.

Badal Mahal, a palace with extensive and sprawling gardens housing the Govind Devji Temple, stands in the middle of the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal. The famous Hawa Mahal, or The Palace of Winds, an enduring symbol of Jaipur The Pink City, is also accessible from this complex.

City Palace is monument reminiscent of Jaipur's royal past and a microcosm of entire Rajasthan.