As may be expected, the City Palace complex lies at the heart of the Jaipur
city. Getting in this palace is simpler noe then it once was. Though the
erstwhile Maharaja and his family friends use the the triple-arched Tripola
Gate to enter their section of the palace, most visitors are ushered through
Atish Pol, which is located close to the royal stables. Cross from here to
Chandni Chowk or Moonlit Square, and then on to Gainda Ki Deorhi or
Rhinocerous Gate.
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. The City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional
Rajasthani and Mughal art and architecture. The palace complex houses
several palatial structures such as the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev
Temple and the City Palace Museum. The complex is divided into a series of
courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings.
INSIDE ATTRACTION OF THE CITY PALACE COMPLEX
- Chandra 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.
- Sukh Nivas & Shobha Nivas
'Sukh Nivas' or "Hall of Rest" holds the drawing and
dining room of the Maharaja, furnished with Mughal miniatures,
European silver, glass dining tables and peep holes decorated with
gold leafs, for ventilation.
On the fourth floor of the Chandra Mahal is the 'Shobha Nivas' or "Hall
of Beauty" with mirror encrusted walls having exquisite blue
tiled dadoes and glittering gold leaf and mica decoration. When the
room was lit after dark the Maharajas could enjoy a breathtaking
spectacle of the room bursting into a thousand flickering images.
The Shobha Nivas and the Sukh Nivas is still occupied by the present
Maharaja.
- Mubarak Mahal
In the first courtyard is the 'Mubarak Mahal', built by Maharaja
Madho Singh II in the late 19th century. The Mubarak Mahal, or the
Auspicious Palace, contains the textile section of the Maharaja
Sawai Man Singh II Museum.
- Diwan-I-Khas & 'Diwan-E-Aam
There is a magnificent gateway with a grand door in brass opening
to a stately courtyard. There lies the Diwan-I-Khas or 'Hall of
Private Audience'- an open hall with a double row of columns with
scalloped arches. On display are the two largest silver vessels in
the world figured in the Guinness Book of World Records. These were
used for carrying water from the holy Ganges for personal use, by
Madho Singh II on his journey to England. Across the paved square,
with its intricate decorations in deep red and gold, Afghan and
Persian carpets, miniature paintings, astronomical manuscripts in
Persian and Sanskrit lies the 'Diwan-E-Aam' or the 'Hall of Public
Audience'. At the other corner is the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol, with
four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four
seasons.
- Chhavi Nivas & Mukut Mahal
The fifth floor is the 'Chhavi Nivas' or "Hall of Images",
the maharajas retreat in the rainy season, with a polished floor of
eggshell stucco and blue and white painted walls. The sixth floor
with its mirrored ceiling and stucco floor has rows of double
columns through which one can have a magnificent view of the rugged
hills. The uppermost storey is called the 'Mukut Mahal' or the Crown
Building.
- Badal 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!
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