Where is the City Palace?
The City Palace is located in Jaipur in the northwestern Indian state of
Rajasthan. The city of Jaipur is internationally renowned for its exquisite
forts and palaces. The City Palace is one of the major landmarks of the
city.
How will you gain access?
The Sanganer Airport (Jaipur) is 11 kmfrom the City centre. There are
direct flights to places like Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur, Jodhpur and
Aurangabad. By rail-network, the city of Jaipur is linked with Bikaner,
Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Secundarabad, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai, Chennai
and Kolkata. The Delhi-Jaipur National Highway is privileged to be one of
the finest roads in the country. The Rajasthan Roadways runs regular AC and
deluxe coaches from Delhi.
What are the timings and the entry charges?
The City Palace remains open for visitors from 09-30 to 17-00 hours. For
the Indians, the entry charge is Rs 35 per head. Foregin nationals have to
pay Rs 150 each.
What does the past say?
The history of the City Palace dates back to the 18th century CE. The
construction of the palace was begun by Maharaja Jai Singh II of the
Kacchwaha Rajput clan. It was Jai Singh's successors who reconstructed the
palace to give it the shape by which it stands today. The reconstruction
began in the 1900 CE, continuing till the first half of the 20th century.
What goes behind the architecture?
The giant complex of the City Palace consists of royal residences,
courtyards, gardens and other palatial buildings. Most of the parts of the
palace were designed by a Britisher Sir Swinton Jacob. The massive structure
symbolises a wonderful synthesis of the Rajasthani, the Mughal and the
British architectural style. The palace can be entered from the gateway
called Atish Pol that leads to the first courtyard, the Mubarak Mahal. Built
in the 20th century by Maharaja Madho Singh II, the Mubarak Mahal is today
more of a museum exhibiting ancient royal textiles. Close to the Mahal lies
the 'Sileh Khana', presenting a large collection of 15th century weapons,
carpets and other antiques. Shri Govind Temple, Diwan-e-Khaas, Diwan-e-Aam,
Sukh Niwas, Shobha Niwas and Chavi Niwas are the other popular attraction of
the palace.
What are the nearby attractions?
»
Govindji Temple
The Govindji Temple is located to the north of the City Palace. The idol in
the temple was brought by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh from Mathura to save it
from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
» Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar or the observatory was erected by Sawai Jai Singh in the
year 1728. The futuristic scientific instruments or Yantras were built to
measure the local time, the sun's declination, azimuth and altitude, the
declination of fixed stars and planets and to determine eclipses.
» Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal or the Palace of Winds stands abutting the City
Palace. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in the year 1799. The
palace was erected with a view to enabling the royal ladies to watch the
everyday life and the processions of the city.
»
Gaitor
Gaitor is located at a distance of 8 km from the city of Jaipur. Here,
there are a number of cenotaphs of the members of the royal family. The
cenotaphs stand in a garden at the base of the Nahargarh Hills. The
white-marble cenotaph of Sawai Jai Singh II is one of the most spectacular
and intricately carved.
