This former royal residence is an imposing blend of traditional
Rajasthani and Mughal architecture and craftsmanship. Surrounded
by walls, this piece de resistance of Jaipur's palace occupies
one seventh of the walled city, comprising a string of minor
palaces and imposing halls.
Of special significance is the Chandra Mahal which overlooks
the breath-taking Jai Niwas Gardens and the highly revered
Shri Govind Dev Temple. The museum within the palace has an
array of galleries of rare painting, exquisite miniatures,
scholarly manuscripts, artifacts and traditional treatises
on architecture. The fine collection of guns and swords on
display dates back to the 15th century and is one of the best
in India.
The city palace was built by Raja Sawai Jai Singh and the
royal family still uses a section of the palace. The exquisite
19th century Mubarak Mahal or The Palace of Reception which
used to serve as the reception area of royal guests was built
by Madho Singh and is now converted into museum which show
cases a bewildering array of royal costumes of the charismatic
prince Sawai Madho Singh. Apart from the royal costumes, on
display at the museum are some intriguing 15th century royal
armory that have been very well preserved.
There is also the Dewan-I-Aam which has now been converted
into an art gallery and has unusual ancient Hindu manuscripts,
exquisite work of art belonging to Persion, Mughal and Rajasthani
school of art. The Dewan-I-Khas is conspicuous by its two
large exquisite silver vessels, which were exclusively made
for Maharaja Madho Singh. These vessels served the purpose
of storing the holy Ganga water during the erstwhile ruler's
much talked about trip to England.
The magnificent Chandra Mahal which is all of seven storied
is now the residence of the present Maharaja of Jaipur. Needless
to say, the palace with its exquisite paintings, flower -
patterned décor, parapets that dazzle with mirrors
and intricately carved ceilings makes this palace an enchanting
abode. Each of the seven stories serves a distinctive purpose
and are appropriately named. For instance, the Sukh Niwas
or the hall of pleasure serves as the drawing cum dining room
of the Maharaja while the Shova Niwas or the hall of beauty
is conspicuous by its mirror coated parapets which dazzle
with a million rays when lit up.
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