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City
Palace In
the heart of the old city, the City Palace occupies
a large area divided into a series of courtyards, gardens
and buildings. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh
but other additions were made much later, some right
up to the start of this century. Today, the palace is
a blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture, the former
Maharaja still lives in part of the palace. The 7 storeyed
Chandra Mahal is the centrepiece and commands fine views
of the gardens and the 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 the Rajasthani,
Mughal and Persian schools. The armoury dating back
to the 15 th 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. It
is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra
Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple, Mubarak Mahal, Mukut
Mahal, and the City Palace Museum.
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| Mubarak
Mahal Mubarak
Mahal, built by Maharaja Madho Singh, is one of the
more important palaces inside the City Palace Complex.
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'- a meeting place where the maharajas
used to entertain a select few. And there, across the
paved square, with its intricate decorations and manuscripts
in Persian and Sanskrit lies the 'Diwan-E-Aam' - the
meeting place with the general public.
Museum & Mukut Mahal
The palace also contains a museum that showcases some
of the best art and weaponry of my people, the warrior
Rajputs. The armory dates back to the 15th century and
contains many of the ingenious and tricky weapons, which
the warrior Rajputs was famous for. A section of museum
also contains dresses and costumes of the former Maharajas
and Maharanis of Jaipur. Each floor 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, appropriately, called the Mukut Mahal - or the Crown
Building. Outside the buildings, you may see a large
silver vessel. This was used by former Maharajas to
take drinking water with him to England. Being a devout
Hindu, he could not drink the English water. |
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