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City Palace Jaipur

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
Jainiwas 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.
City Palace Jaipur Reservation Form