Location
Located in Jaipur, the Pink city of India in Rajasthan. Rajasthan is
situated to the north west of India. Jaipur is 232 km from Agra and 300 km
from Delhi.
About the Palace
In the heart of the old city stands the City Palace of Jaipur in all its
majesty. Spread over a large area, the palace houses a series of courtyards,
gardens and buildings. Sawai Jai Singh built the outer wall, but other
additions are lately made, in the start of the 20th century. The palace is a
fine blend of Rajasthani and Mughal form of architecture.
The Mubarak Mahal or the Welcome Palace, built in late 19th century by
Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II stands before the Palace. It serves as a
reception center for visiting dignitaries. This complex now forms part of
the Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum and exhibits a vast collection of
royal costumes and shawls, which include sanganeri block prints, royal
shawls and lots more.
At the heart of the complex is the seven storey Chandra Mahal where small
part of the mahal is still occupied by the descendents of the former royal
family. Only the buildings surrounding the Chandra Mahal that are open to
the public, which also forms a part of the museum. The architecture seems to
feature a number of arched, pillered halls, while the courtyards with
painted doorways are an obvious feature in the Palace. Chandra Mahal
provides fine views of the gardens and the city. The complex shelters an
excellent museum, an armoury and several fine halls. The apartments are
maintained in excellent order and the museum of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II
has a wide collection of art, crafts and handicrafts items along with old
weapons. The paintings in the palace displays miniatures in the Mughal,
Rajasthani and Persian schools. A part of museum also comprises of dresses,
costumes and other materials used by former Maharajas and Maharanis of
Jaipur.
