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hoisted at all times; and quarter flag referring to Sawai title, when the Maharaja is in the palace complex. Another palace inside the City Palace complex, is the Mubarak Mahal built by architect Lala Chiman Lal. Mubarak Mahal is famed for its hanging balcony and intricate carving in white marble and beige stone. Mubarak Mahal was specifically built to receive foreign guests, but today it houses palace museum offices and a library as well as textile gallery.
Other notable structures inside City Palace complex, are Maharani’s Palace or the palace of the queen, and the clock tower built south of the Sabha Niwas. Originally, residence of the queens, it is now a museum. Weapons used by Jaipur royal family during war are on display here, with some dating back to 15th century. The clock tower built in 1873, in European architecture style, replaced an existing tower. The clock was installed to introduce Victorian efficiency and punctuality in the proceedings of the court.
Galleries
As much of the City Palace complex, has been turned into a museum; today there are numerous galleries, each dedicated to a certain topic. One such building is the opulent Sabha Niwas or Hall of Audience. It is a large room with two thrones at the centre, has a durbar setting. Hung on its walls are large paintings of previous Maharajas of Jaipur state. Besides that, a large painting depicting festival of holi, and a pair of paintings depicting spring and summer; adorn the walls. Also on display are military medals and polo trophies won by the various rulers. The walls are decorated with murals and huge chandeliers dangle from the ceiling. There are also photos from the reign of Man Singh II.
The textile gallery on the ground floor of Mubarak Mahal, showcases variety of textiles and fabrics used by Jaipur rulers. These include Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I’s atmasukha, robes or angarakhas of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II; Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh’s wedding jama. Also on display is a rare pashmina carpet, made around 1650. This gallery also displays Polo outfit and Billiards outfit of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II.
The Sileh Khana is the Arms and Armour Gallery that showcases variety of arms and weapons used by the rulers of Jaipur through the centuries. The gallery features early 19th century swords with variety of decorations on the handle as well as sword blade or Shamshir Shikargah. Some swords were never used in war and were purely made for ornamental purpose. Highlight of the collection is a sword of Maharaja Ram Singh II (1835–80) with a blade length of 54 cm. The blade is stamped with owners’ name with a trishul mark indicating its special purpose. The gallery also showcases a sword of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II. Also, a beautifully painted shield featuring the clan goddess, Shila Mata, and hunting scenes, belonging to Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh is on display. The armour gallery showcases helmets, including one rare and expensive watered steel helmet from 16th-century. The helmet was decorated during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II.
The Painting and Photography Gallery, is the newest gallery of the City Palace Museum. It showcases paintings and photographs from 18th and 19th century Jaipur. Painting on display have been divided based on the regions where they emerged; be it Mewar, Marwar, and Dhundhar. Paintings based on hybrid painting styles that merged Indian, Mughal, and Persian traditions; thanks to artistic exchanges between Mughal and Rajput courts are also on display. At present, there are nearly 3,000 paintings are on display in the museum for general public. This collection doesn’t include paintings and manuscripts held in the private collection of the Jaipur royal family. These include original Mughal and Deccan paintings, religious and secular paintings, paintings from other Rajput kingdoms, copies of Mughal paintings, illustrated manuscripts, paper-cut collages, small- and large-scale portraits.
The photography section at the museum consists of near about 6,050 photographic prints, 1,941 glass plate negatives as well as photography equipment. The photo collection ranges from 1860s to 1950s. Many of these photos, camera equipment and assorted accessories; belonged to Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II, who was not only a photo and painting collector; but also; a practitioner of photography. The photographs include portraits, landscapes and architectural images of the Indian subcontinent clicked by established photo studios and photographers. Transport Gallery or Bagghi Khaana in another part of the city place complex, features buggies, raths, camel saddles, palkis etc.
Tickets
City Palace complex is open to visitors’ every day, from 9.30 AM to 5.00 PM during the day, and again from 7.00 PM to 10.00 PM during the night. There are two separate tickets for entry into City Palace, as palace is divided into two parts. Tourist can also buy a composite ticket to access both sections. Charges for the museum and exterior are INR 200 for Indian adults and INR 100 for children. Charges for night visit are NR 250 for children, IINR 500 for Indian adults, INR 500 for foreigner children, and INR 1000 for adult foreigners. Charges for composite ticket are INR 200 for children, INR 300 for Indian adults, INR 400 for foreigner children, and INR 700 for adult foreigners.
Charges for Chandra Mahal tour are INR 1000 for children, INR 1500 for Indian adults, INR 1500 for foreigner children, and INR 2000 for adult foreigners. Charges for special ticket are INR 1500 for children, INR 3000 for Indian adults, INR 2000 for foreigner children, and INR 3500 for adult foreigners. Guided tours are also available with separate charges for guides. The disabled friendly palace takes around 3 – 4 hours to tour. Tourist are best advised to carry water bottle while touring the palace. Tourist can reach the City Palace Complex from any part of the city by hiring a taxi, auto-rickshaw, bus or private car. Best time to visit the palace in winter months of October to March. Jaipur is well connected with all majo0r cities of India.
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plag report 2-2668b069
plag report 2
plag report 2
