The City
Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani and Mughal art and
architecture. The City Palace complex houses several palatial
structures. In the heart of the old Jaipur city, the City Palace
occupies a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens and
buildings.
Jai
Singh built the outer wall but other additions were made much later,
some right up to the start of this century. The former Maharaja still
lives in part of the palace. The City Palace sprawls over one-seventh of
the area of the walled city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind
Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum.
The first building in
it, is Mubarak Mahal, built by Maharaja Madho Singh. It has a
beautifully carved marble gate with heavy brass doors on either side of
this gate. Beyond this gate, lies the 'Diwan-E-Khas' or the 'Hall Of
Private Audience' with a marble paved gallery. Across a paved square
lies the 'Diwan-E-Am' or the 'Hall Of Public Audience', with its
intricate decorations and manuscripts in Persian and Sanskrit. There is
also a clock tower and the newer Mubarak Mahal.
To the
north-west is the stately and graceful seven-storeyed Chandra Mahal, the
residence of ex-ruler. The seven-story Chandra Mahal is the centrepiece
and commands fine views of the gardens and the Jaipur city. The complex
contains an excellent museum, an armoury and several fine halls. The
apartments are maintained in luxurious order and the museum of Maharaja
Sawai Man Singh II has an extensive collection of art, carpets,
enamelware and old weapons.
The paintings include miniatures in
Rajasthani, Mughal and Persian schools. The armoury dating back to the
15th century and many of the ingenious and tricky weapons, which the
warrior Rajputs were famous for. A section of museum also contains
dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas and Maharanis of Jaipur.
Each storey has a distinctive name and is a place of sheer beauty and
luxury. Paintings, floral decorations, mirror walls and ceilings in the
traditional style adorn the palace. The uppermost storey is called the
Mukut Mahal.
Opposite the Chandra Mahal lies the Badal Mahal.
The Govind Devji Temple stands in the middle of the Chandra Mahal and
the Badal Mahal. A delightful system of mountains is placed in the
middle of the paved path between the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal.
The palace has extensive and sprawling gardens.
Outside the
buildings, you may see a large silver vessel which a former Maharaja
used to take drinking water with him to England. Being a devout Hindu,
he could not drink the English water!
