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Royal Palaces of Jaipur

Rambagh Palace: This palace served as the main residence of Maharani Gayatri Devi and Maharaja Sawai
Man Singh. When Maharani Gayatri Devi came to Jaipur for the first time after her wedding she was
brought to this palace to be presented to the Jaipur nobility and Jaipur court.

Click on the picture above to read more about the Rambagh Palace.

Rambagh Palace
The Copyright© of the photograph above is property of Peter V. Sengbusch to whom all rights are reserved.
Rambagh Palace

Rambagh Palace

Rambagh Palace
The above pictures are of three suites in Rambagh Palace. In clockwise direction starting with the upper left
picture the names of the suites are: Kamal Mahal Suite, Princess Suite, and Sheesh Mahal Suite.

The Banquet Hall at Rambagh Palace

 The City Palace of Jaipur is the main palace and the seat of the government. Construction of the palace
complex began in 1732, but work continued into the late 19th century as changes were made, and structures
were added. One of the last structures added to the complex is the Mubarak Mahal built in 1890.

The Jaipur Darbar would be held in the City Palace as well as royal weddings, royal birthdays, religious
festivals, and coronations of a new maharaja. In the foreground of this picture is the Jantar Mantar
Astronomical Observatory. In the background the taller stucture towards the left is the Chandra Mahal,
which contain the private apartments of the Maharaja of Jaipur.

On the hilltop is the Naharagarh Fort. It is said that there is a secret passage from the City Palace to the fort.
It was designed as an escape route for the maharaja and the royal family of Jaipur.

City Palace has become the place of many film shootings from Hindi movies to American movies. One
such mini series that was shot in the City Palace was "The Far Pavilions" based on a novel written by M.
M. Kaye. Some of the Bollywood (Hindi) movies which have been filmed here are: Rajkumar, Khuda
Gawa, Bade Mian Chhote Mian, Chahaat, Na Tum Jano Na Hum, Chor Machaaye Shor. It is to this day
the home to the Maharaja and Maharani of Jaipur.

The Mubarak Mahal and the Chandra Mahal

 Mubarak Mahal is part of the City Palace complex built in 1890 and was used as the guest house for
visiting dignitaries of Maharaja. However, it now is part of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The
Textile and Costume Museum is exhibited on the first floor.

The marble elephant gate of the City Palace is known as the Rajendra Pol (gateway of Princes). After
passing through the gate one comes across the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of private audiences).

The Rajendra Pol is flanked by two marble elephants on either side. Each elephant has been carved out a
single piece of marble. These marble elephants were added by Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II to
comemorate the birth of his first son the current Maharaja of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh.
The Diwan-i-Khas (in Sanskrit known as Sarbato Bhadra is the Hall of private audiences). It was used for
private audiences with the Maharaja, but now holds two huge silver urns used by Maharaja Sawai Madho
Singh to carry Ganga Jal (water from the Ganges) for his visit to England for the coronation of King
Emperor Edward VII. In the picture above one of the silver urns can be seen on the left. Theses silver urns
are the largest silver objects in the world.

The interior of the Diwan-i-Khas. The two silver urns can be seen towards the back .

This is the Sarbato Bhadra Chowk.* On the right side of the picture is the Diwan-i-Khas. On the left is the
entrance which leads into the pavilion for the Chandra Mahal and the zenana.
*Sarbato Bhadra Chowk is the pavilion where the Diwan-I-Khas is.
 This gate leads into the Pritam Niwas Chowk.* From here one has access to the Chandra Mahal, Anand
Mahal and the women's quarters of the palace. The opposite side of this gate is know as the Peacock Gate.
Along with apartments in the Rambagh Palace, Maharani Gayatri Devi also had apartments in zenana of the
City Palace. Her apartments opened out to a small verandah.

*Pritam Niwas Chowk is a wide verandah which literally means "house of the beloved."

Chandra Mahal (Palace of the Moon) is part of the City Palace built between 1727 and 1734. Therefore, it
is one of the earliest buildings of the palace complex. Though from the outside it appears to have seven
storeys, the first and second floors are actually one high-ceilinged hall known as the Sukh Niwas (House of
pleasure). Above the Sukh Niwas is the Rang Mandir (Temple of Color), and above the Rang Mandir is the
Sobha Niwas (House of beauty). Lastly the two top storeys are the smallest of all. Above the Sobha Niwas
is the mirror palace or the Chavi Niwas and finally crowned at the top by the small open marble pavilion
the Mukut Niwas (House of the Crown). The Chandra Mahal is the private apartments of the Maharaja of
Jaipur. To the left of this building is the zenana, or the women's quarters of the Palace. The Chandra Mahal
continues to be the home of the current royal family of Jaipur.

Copyright© of the photograph of above of The Chandra Mahal is property of THE SHUNYA. All rights
reserved.

The pavilion in front of the Chandra Mahal. The Peacock Gate can be seen to the right in the picture.

Chandra Mahal
 Chandra Mahal

These are the Jai Niwas Gardens behind the Chandra Mahal. The temple of Govindji is located in the Jai
Niwas Gardens. Also found here is the Royal Chhatri of Maharaja Sawai Ishwari Singh. Maharaja Sawai
Ishwari Singh was the one and only maharaja to be cremated here and also have his chhatri built here. All
other Maharajas of Jaipur were cremated at Gaitore and their chhatris were also built there.
The Peacock Gate leads from the Pritam Niwas Chowk to the Sarbato Bhadra Chowk.*

*Sarbato Bhadra Chowk is the pavilion where the Diwan-i-Khas is located.

The Peacock Gate of the City Palace of Jaipur.

 The peacock detail of the Peacock Gate.

One of the silver urns used by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh to carry water from the Ganges to England.

Click here to read more about these silver urns.

These silver urns are the largest silver objects in the world.
The Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory also part of the Jaipur City Palace complex. It was built by the
astronomer/Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. He is also responsible for building the city of Jaipur.

The Jaipur Collection is in the City Palace museum. The Maharani Gayatri Devi was instrumental in saving
these Jaipur artifacts after the merger of Jaipur into the Indian Union.

The Temple of Govind Devji in the City Palace.

The Temple of Govindji is set in the Jai Niwas Gardens behind the Chandra Mahal.
Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) is part of the City Palace complex and was used for the ladies of the
Royal Family to maintain the tradition of purdah (veil) while still observing the activities in the streets
below without being seen themselves.

Hawa Mahal
 Jal Mahal

Jal Mahal (Lake Palace) in Jaipur is merely a facade and was used for hunting birds by the Maharajas of
Jaipur.

Moti Doongri (Pearl Hill) is a small palace located on top of a hill, and was built in the style of a Scottish
Castle. After they were wed Maharaja Sawai Man Singh brought his new bride, Maharani Gayatri Devi, on
a tour of the palace. She liked the palace so much that Maharaja gifted it to her. A small temple is also part
 of the palace complex. During the Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi the Maharani
Gayatri Devi was living in Moti Doongri, and was later arrested. She was imprisoned in Tihar Jail for a few
months along with the Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia of Gwalior. Shrimati Indira Gandhi also called for
excavations in the palace thinking that the Maharani may be hiding treasures inside the palace.

Raj Mahal Gateway

Copyright© of the photograph above is property of the Royal Family of Jaipur. All rights are reserved.

Raj Mahal (Palace of the King)

In 1729 Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, builder of the city of Jaipur, also built the spacious garden Ranawatji
Ka Bagh (The of Garden of Ranawatji). Along with the garden he built a small palace for his favorite and
chief Maharani, the Maharani Chandra Kumar Ranawatji, a princess of Udaipur.

After giving birth to a son (Madho Singh) the Maharani Chandra Kumar moved back to Udaipur to keep
her son safe from the seven year internal struggle in Jaipur. The struggle ended with the death of Madho
Singh's half brother, Maharaja Sawai Ishwari Singh. Since Maharaja Sawai Ishwari Singh did not have any
male heirs, Madho Singh ascended to the Jaipur gadi. The Maharani Chandra Kumar Ranawatji lived the
remaining years of her life in her palace at Ranawatji Ka Bagh. The palace came be known as Maji Ka
Bagh (Mother's Garden).

In 1821 Maji Ka Bagh became the official residence of the Resident Political Officer of the Agent General
of Rajputana.

In 1958 Maji Ka Bagh became the official residence of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and Maharani
Gayatri Devi when Rambagh Palace was converted into a hotel. Maji Ka Bagh was renamed Raj Mahal.

In 1970, after the death of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh, the Rajmata Gayatri Devi shifted her residence to
Lilypool on the grounds of Rambagh Palace, and it became the official home of the Rajmata of Jaipur.

Today the Raj Mahal has been converted into a hotel by Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh

UDAIPUR

1. Colonel HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula

Bushana-Mahi Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara Chattis
Rajkul Singar Maharana Shri BHAGWAT SINGH Bahadur Hindua
Suraj Hindupati 1955/1984, born 20th June 1921 at Bhopalgarh,
son of Maharaj Pratap Singh of Shivrati, adopted by the
Maharana of Udaipur as his successor in 1939; married 1stly,
29th February 1940, HH Maharani Sushila Kunwari of Bikaner,
married 2ndly, Annabella Parker, and had issue. He died 3rd
November 1984.
o HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula
Bushana-Mahi Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara
Chattis Rajkul Singar Maharana Shri MAHENDRA SINGH
Bahadur Hindua Suraj Hindupati (qv)
o HH Rani Yogeshwari Kumari, born 1942/1943, married HH
Raja KRISHAN SINH of Sitamau, and has issue.
o Maharaj Arvind Singh, born 13th December 1944, married
15th May 1972, Rani Raj Vijayraj Kumari of Kutch, born
21st December 1942, and has issue.
 Rajkumari Bhargavi Kumari, born 24th March 1976
in Mumbai, married 27th March 1995, Kunwar
Lokendra Singh Rathore of Ghanerao [now Thakur
Lokendra Singhji of Kotri], and has issue.
 Rajkumari Padmaja Kumari, born 11th January 1980,
educated at Tulane University, New Orleans, USA,
graduating in May 2003 with a degree in
International Relations and a minor degree in
 Business Studies; engaged in 2010 to Kunwar Kush
Singh Parmar of Santrampur (see Vijaynagar).
 Rajkumar Lakshyaraj Singh, 28th January 1985,
educated at the Blue Mountains School of Hospitality.

2. HH 108 Sri Maharaj Adhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Ravi Kula Bushana-

Mahi Mahindra Yavadarya Kula Kamaldhivakara Chattis Rajkul
Singar Maharana Shri MAHENDRA SINGH Bahadur Hindua Suraj
Hindupati (see above)