Chandra Mahal

While you come to visit the city palace of Jaipur, you’ll find at its north-west side, the graceful seven storeyed 'Chandra Mahal' (Moon Palace). Actually, it is the residence of the present Maharaja of Jaipur, Bhavani Singh. The entire palace is bedecked by traditional paintings, floral decorations, mirror walls and painted ceilings. Each storey remarkably bears a distinctive name and is a place of sheer beauty and luxury. Presently, the ground and first floor of the Chandra Mahal, houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. Here, one finds an extensive collection of exquisite art, carpets, enamelware and 15th century weapons. The paintings include miniatures of Rajasthani, Persian and Mughal schools. For the antique lovers, a section of museum also contains exquisite garments and costumes of the former Maharajas (Kings) and Maharanis (Queens) of Jaipur.

'Sukh Nivas' or ‘Hall of Rest’ was built as the drawing and dining room of the Maharajas. The entire hall is furnished with Mughal miniatures, European silver, and glass dining tables. Here you’ll find some peep holes adorned with gold leaves, once used for ventilation. On the fourth floor of the 'Chandra Mahal', the 'Shobha Nivas' or ‘Hall of Beauty’ is located. The walls of the entire hall are encraved with mirror. Exquisite blue tiled dadoes and glittering gold leaves embellish the hall to its best. 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’ are still occupied by the present Maharaja. The fifth floor is familiar as the 'Chhavi Nivas' or ‘Hall of Images’. While you’ll come to the sixth floor, its’ mirrored ceiling and stucco floor will just make you enthralled. Through the rows of double columns, visitors can have a glance of the magnificent view of the rugged hills. The uppermost floor is known as the 'Mukut Mahal' or the ‘Crown Building’. From the top of the palace, the visitors generally enjoy a picturesque view of the Rajput gardens and the decade-old city of Jaipur.

A Palace of Wonders

Are you fond of travelling? Are you in vacation nowadays? Do you have a dream to look lofty ornamented palaces? Yes, I can mitigate your quench, then just come to Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. Here you’ll surely find out what you are exactly looking for, that’s the magnificent City Palace, your wonderland. City Palace is an instance of excellent blending of grand Rajput essence of architecture and Mughal art. Besides, it also demonstrates an example of the far sightedness of its founder- Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of the Jaipur city too.

City Palace is so vast that it alone encompasses one-seventh of the total walled city of Jaipur. Actually, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II built the outer walls, most of the inner parts were constructed later under different rulers. Within its massive walls, the City Palace houses a number of picturesque structures such as City Palace Museum, Shri Govind Dev Temple and palaces like Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Badal Mahal etc.

At the entrance of the City Palace, you will find the Mubarak Mahal. Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh, built the Mubarak Mahal in late 19th century to greet the visiting personages. Now it has been transformed into the museum and popularly known as Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. Here you will find valuable royal costumes, ethnic Kashmiri shawls, Benaras silk sarees, Sanganeri prints and folk embroidery in exhibition. In addition to these, the royal apparels worn by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I (1750-1768 AD) are also in display here.

Further you will come across the Maharani Palace, which has some extraordinary preservation of the 15th century Rajput arsenal. Collection of the Maharani Palace includes various deadly weapons of that contemporary period like scissor-action dagger, chain armour, pistols, jewelled and ivory handled swords, belt swords, canons, guns, gun powder packets and poison tipped blades.

After that, the ‘Diwan-I-Khas’ (Hall of Private Audience) will come on your way. Here you will get to see the world’s largest sterling silver object and two grand silver vessels displayed in exhibition. The Guinness Book of World Records refers that it has world’s largest silver objects in its storage. Following this, the ‘Diwan-I-Aam’, means the Hall of Public Audience waits for you. Here also some ancient handwritten original manuscripts of Hindu religion are exhibited, that are rarely found anywhere.

Next visit the Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace), situated in the north east corner of the City Palace complex. From here, you can have a panoramic view of floral gardens as well as the delicacy of art-work in mirror walls and ceilings of contemporary pattern. Chandra Mahal houses the massive Sukh Niwas, which was the dining hall for the Maharaja. In the fourth floor of the Chandra Mahal, the Shobha Niwas(Hall of Beauty) lies. Here mirrors are placed on the walls along with blue tiled dadoes. The fifth floor of Chandra Mahal is known as the ‘Chavi Niwas’(Hall of Images). Here you find the mirrored ceilings and stucco floor that has rows too. From this place, you can have a splendid view of the rugged hills. The top floor of the Chandra Mahal is known as the Mukut Mahal (Crown Building).

Just opposite of Moon Palace, another wonder is waiting for you, which is the famous Badal Mahal. What’s more attractive here is the fountain, located in the middle of the way between the Moon Palace and the Badal Mahal. The architectural greatness of this palace will surely fascinate you.

Hence, do not waste time after thinking that where you will spend this vacation. Just pack up your luggage and left for Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur to discover the hidden jewells of City Palace on your own.