FORTS & PALACES
FORTS & PALACES
Amber Fort
Within the fort lies the famous Jai Mandir (Temple) with its world renowned Sheesh Mahal, a hall full of Mirrors. The walls and the ceiling of the Mahal are covered with a beautiful array of mirrors, which reflect any streak of light, so as to illuminate the entire room. Located in the fort is the Maha Kali temple. The idol is made of black marble and is very attractive. The carvings found here are of Lord Vishnu, Lord Krishna and Meera Bai. There are a few Jain temples here, of which the Mahaveer temple is the oldest. The Ram Niwas gardens here have a zoo with birds, animals and a crocodile park.
Jaisalmer Fort was built in 1156 by the Rajput ruler Jaisala. About a quarter of the old city's population resides within the fort walls. The fort is approached through a forbidding series of massive gateways – (Akhaiyal, Ganesh Pol, Suraj Pol and Hava Pol) leading to a large courtyard. It has an enchanting cow-web of narrow lanes dotted with some lovely havelis, three beautifully sculptured Jain Temples of the 12th-15th century A.D. and five interconnected palaces.
The Nahargarh fort also known as Sudarshangarh was built in 1734 AD by Sawai Jai Singh for Jaipur’s defence, atop a picturesque hill 600ft above the city of Jaipur. The fort is also known as 'Tiger Fort'. It was later enlarged by Sawai Ram Singh II in 1868. The Nahargarh Fort lies north-west of City Palace and provides a breathtaking view of the city below.
While part of the purpose was to be a fortification, it was primarily built to house the 9 wives of the local Maharaja. Each wife had a separate apartment with its own kitchen. The palace has several similar looking quarters.
The Hawa Mandir and Madhvendra Bhawan are situated within. It is believed that this fort contains a great treasure. The beautiful paintings, mosaic work and stained glass work are still in extremely good condition.
Jaigarh Fort, also known as the fort of victory, is a rugged structure built in 1726 by Sawai Jai Singh. It was the royal treasury for several years. The fort is perched on a cliff and is surrounded by huge battlements with inside walkways offering stunning views on all sides. One of the most impregnable and unapproachable forts in the world, it has several cunningly designed features to give the forces inside a cutting edge. The World's largest cannon on wheel, Jaivan, can be found here.
Also of interest is the intricate water supply and storage system, which is considered a marvel of planning. Situated in the north of Jaipur, the fort also houses a beautiful museum and gives breathtaking views of Jaipur below and Amber Fort.
The western skyline is dominated by the extensive 'parkotas' (walls), watchtowers and gateways of Jaigarh. It is one of the few military structures of medieval India preserved almost intact, containing palaces, gardens, open and covered reservoirs, a granary, an armoury, a well-planned cannon foundry, several temples and a tall tower.
Junagarh fort, located in Bikaner, is one of the most imposing forts of Northern India, remaining unconquered till date. This fort was built in 15th century by one of the most able and trusted generals of Akbar, Raja Rai Singh. Raja Rai Singh constructed this palace in the years 1588 - 1593, in red sandstone. The Junagarh Fort has defied all the attacks except for the brief stint by Kamaran who captured the fort but was unable to retain his victory more than 24 hours.
The fort has a moat around it and the wall surrounding the fort is 986 meters long. The fort has 37 balconies and kiosks embellishing the structure at intervals. The palace has two imposing entrances. The entrance to this fort is through Suraj Pol (Sun Gate).
Within the fort are number of palaces, the Chandra Mahal or the Moon Palace has carved marble panels and brilliant paintings. The Phool mahal is a coronation hall and is ornately decorated with lacquer, mirror and glass. The Har Mandir is the majestic chapel where the royal weddings and the celebrations of birth were held. The Karan Mahal was built to mark the victory over Mogul king Aurangzeb. The multi-storeyed Anup Mahal was the governance chambers for the rulers. Like these places, there are a number of places within the fort, adorned with gigantic columns, arches and graceful screens. The fort has a library, which contains books in Persian and Sanskrit. Palanquins and armory used by the Maharaja are also put on display in the fort.
The beautifully maintained rooms now display the treasures of the Royal family. Also worth visiting are the Ganga Niwas, Dungar Niwas, Vijai Mahal, and Rang Mahal. The fort museum has an extensive collection of illuminated manuscripts, jewellery, jars and carpets, arms and weapons, treaties, decorations and the 'Farmans'.
Built by Rao Jodha on the advice of a saint, the Mehrangarh fort lies on the slope of a steep hill in Jodhpur and is one of the largest forts in India. The fort has been a witness to the splendour of a bygone era. The beauty and the grandeur of numerous palaces in the fort, narrates a saga of hard sandstones yielding to the chisels of skilled Jodhpuri sculptures. To enter the fort, seven gates have to be crossed.
Some of these gates still bear marks of many a siege that
this fort has withstood. Its very hard to imagine how any invader even thought
of conquering this fort, which at places has 17 feet thick and 68 feet high
walls.
The Mehrangarh Fort encloses many palaces, which are known for their intricate
carvings and sprawling courtyards. Moti Mahal or the Pearl Palace has a
delicately carved stone screen and treasures the Sringar Chowki, royal throne of
Jodhpur. Umaid Villas displays the Rajput miniature paintings and Ajit Villas
exhibits musical instruments and the royal costumes. Both these villas are
joined by a beautiful mirror room.
The Jodhpur Coat of Arms is kept in the Phool Mahal. Walls of this Flower Palace is covered with paintings depicting various musical moods. The Maan Villas displays Rathore armoury and the 'Tent room'. This tent room is an imperial Mughal campaign tent, used by Shahjahan, but wrested by Jaswant Singh from Aurangzeb in a battle. Made of red velvet and embroidered with gold thread, it gives some idea of the grandeur with which the Mughals approached even their battles.
The Kumbhalgarh fort is 84 kms from Udaipur. The fort located in Kumbhalgarh, was built by Maharana Kumbha in the 15th century. Kumbhalgarh Fort is perched on the Aravallis, and this otherwise inaccessible fort can only be reached by jeep from Kelwara after crossing the seven great gates.
The
fort extends over 12 kms and encloses many temples, palaces and gardens. The
walls of the fort stretch for 36km and are said to be the longest after the
Great Wall of China. The Badal Mahal or Cloud Palace offers a spectacular bird’s
eye view of the surrounding countryside.
Six kilometers from the fort is the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary. The sanctuary is
famous for its fauna such as the Wolf, Leopard, Jackal and a variety of birds.
The sanctuary protects some of the rare species struggling for survival.
The Lalgarh Palace, located in Bikaner, was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in memory of his father Maharaja Lal Singh. Around the turn of the 20th century Maharaja Ganga Singh decided that it was time to move out of Junagarh Fort and build a modern Palace that more clearly reflected the progressive new character of his kingdom. The result was the impressive Lalgarh palace. It took twenty-four years to complete, from 1902 to 1926.
Designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, this red sandstone monument is a fine blend of an oriental facade and an Occidental interior. The palace has beautiful latticework and filigree work. The palace has sprawling lawns with blooming bougainvillea and dancing peacocks.
The Royal family of Bikaner still resides in a part of the Palace and the other half is converted into a luxurious hotel and a museum known as Shri Sadul Museum. The museum covers the entire first floor of the palace and houses well preserved old photographs and trophies of wildlife. The palace has a billiards room, a library, a cards room and a smoking room. Belgian chandeliers, cut-glass ornaments, oil paintings and lamps add to it's charm. The library of the palace is supposed to have the largest collection of original Sanskrit manuscripts on parchments, copper and gold or silver plaques.
Jal Mahal was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 AD in the midst of the Man Sagar Lake as a pleasure spot. It is Jaipur's lake palace surrounded with water. It is built for royal duck shooting parties. The Lake was formed by constructing a dam between the two hills by Sawai Man Singh I. During the winter months one can see a large number of migratory birds at the lake.
Palace of Padmini
The fort perched on a 180 mts. high hill, covering 700 acres, was constructed by
Mauryan rulers in the 7th century, in Chittorgarh. In the fort, this palace was
built for Queen Padmini whose beauty was responsible for the battle between
Allauddin Khilji and Rana Ratan Singh.
The Palace was surrounded by a large pool with quaint gardens surrounding it. The bronze gates of the Palace can now be found at the Agra Fort (Akbar took them away in 1568). According to Rajput tales, Allaudin Khilji is said to have been allowed to see Queen Padmini's reflection in the water, through a mirror on the palace wall. Just a glimpse of her legendary beauty was enough for Allaudin to lay siege to Chittor with a hope to posses her.
From Amber, their former capital, the Kachhwaha of Rajputs of Rajasthan moved to Jaipur. The City Palace is the core of the royal residences in Jaipur. Each new Maharaja made his own additions to Sawai Jai Singh’s original city palace.
In the heart
of the old city of Jaipur, the City Palace occupies a large area, divided into a
series of courtyards, gardens, and buildings.
The carved arches are
supported by grey-white marble columns ornate with floral motifs in gold and
colored stones. Two carved elephants in marble guard the entrance.
The outer wall was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, but
other additions are much more recent, some dating back to the beginning of this
century. The palace is a wonderful blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architecture.
The centre of the palace, is the Chandra Mahal, private palace of the
ruler, which is approached through a number of courtyards. Mubarak Mahal, in the
first courtyard, is a guesthouse now used as a textile museum. A magnificent
gateway with a grand door in brass is to be crossed to reach the Diwan-I-Khas in
a stately courtyard. It is an open hall with a double row of columns with
scalloped arches. On display here are two gigantic silver urns used by Madho
Singh II to carry water from the holy Ganges on board the ocean liner when he
travelled to London in 1902. These are the largest silver vessels in the world –
242.7 kilograms of silver was required to cast each urn, which could contain
8182 gallons of water. These urns figure in the Guinness Book of World Records.
At the eastern corner of this courtyard stands the Diwan-I-Aam, now a museum of
miniature paintings, palanquins, manuscripts and Persian carpets . At the other
corner stands the Ridhi Sidhi Pol, splendid gateway to the Pritam Chowk. Herein
four smaller doorways are decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons. Of
immense charm is the Peacock door. Chandra Mahal, the main royal residence, is
seven storeyed and topped by Mukut Mandir, an elegant pavilion with a
curvilinear roof. The various apartments and floors carry their own distinctive
style of ornamentation to suit the ruler’s taste.
Such Niwas and Shobha Niwas are still occupied by the ex-Maharaja. Such Niwas has been painted in Wedgwood blue, ornamented with white lining. Only the ground floor is open to visitors. Through the glass panes you can see the Sri Govinda Temple, the first structure built by Sawai jai Singh in Jaipur. The Chandra Mahal is a fanciful medley of Mughal and Rajput architecture.
Opposite the Chandra Mahal lies the Badal Mahal. The Govind Devji Temple stands in the middle of the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal. A delightful system of mountains is placed in the middle of the paved path between the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal. The palace has extensive and sprawling gardens.
City Palace – Udaipur
City
Palace of Udaipur, the majestic white royal building towers itself on a hill and
is surrounded by crenellated walls. The palace was completed in its present form
by the contribution of many rulers. Originally started by Udai Singh, the later
additions were so carefully planned and integrated with the original building
that it becomes difficult to believe that the building was not conceived as a
whole. The palace stands along the shores of Lake Pichola.
Approach to the palace is through the 'Hati Pol' or the 'Elephant Gate'. The 'Bara
Pol' or the 'great gate' leads to the first court, which joins Tripolia or the
'triple gate'. Between the two gates are eight carved 'toranas' or arches, which
mark the spot where the rulers were weighed against gold or silver, the
equivalent value of which was then distributed among the poor. Beyond the
Tripolia is the arena where the elephant fights were staged.
The path then leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping pavilions,
terraces, corridors and hanging gardens - a harmonious profusion hard to
describe.The soft cream coloured central 'Chhatri' has facing of blue coloured
tiles with massive octagonal towers crowned with cupolas. The Sheesh Mahal has
inlaid mirror work. The Krishna Vilas has a series of miniature paintings, which
are witness to the royal processions, festivals and the game of 'Chogan'.
The Chini Chitrashala is famous for its Chinese and Dutch tiles, the latter of which has depiction of Biblical scenes including the flight to Egypt. Radha-Krishna stories are painted on the walls of the Bhim Vilas. The glass mosaic gallery with its superb stained glasses and portraits afford a panoramic view of the city below. The Mor Chowk has a brilliant mosaic of peacocks set in the walls showing the three seasons: summer, winter and monsoon. There are exquisite terrace gardens with fountains in the Amar Vilas.
There is also a museum in the fort which houses the armour of the valiant Maharana Pratap and the drums & bugles of Rana Sanga, another Mewar ruler.
Lake Palace or Jagat Niwas, located in Udaipur, is a white marble summer residence of the princes of Mewar, which was built in 1746 by Jagat Singh. Set on an island, the whole Palace appears to float on the blue water of Lake Pichola. The airy stucco complex with dainty balconies, terrace gardens, water fountains and arched windows, reflects the brightness of the sun, sky and lake. The interiors are profusely decorated with paintings, stained glass and crystal.
This former summer residence of the Royal family, has now been converted into a fabulous hotel. All the luxuries of the palace have been utilized in making the hotel as attractive and comfortable as possible. This Lake Palace Hotel is considered to be one of the best hotels in the world.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Umaid
Bhawan is a wonderful palace of beige sandstone, located in Jodhpur, built by
Maharaja Umaid Singh in 1928 and designed by the President of the British Royal
Institute of Architects. The Fort is a blend of several styles, merging
pleasantly. All the trappings of Raj influence, pre-independence royal living
are present. Royal auditorium ballrooms,a huge dining-room, gilded royal
furniture, majestic tiger and deerskins on the walls of a gloomy library of old
books, crystal chandeliers, stained glass windows, liveried servants and doormen
and a swimming pool in the basement. There is so much to see and discover.
Outside, the manicured lush lawn, is splashed with rows of red and white
flowering bushes. From the expanse of green grass, the huge central dome of
Umaid Bhavan emerges most prominent, with the four corners peaked into columned
minarets. Glowing in the late afternoon sun, this is another royal treasure of
Rajasthan.
Deeg Water Palace
Hardly 35 kilometers from Bharatpur town is Deeg, famous for its water palaces. Perhaps, the king was very fond of monsoons; he had tried to create the magic of the monsoons through extensive use of multicolored fountains all around the palace. It is said that there are more than 2000 fountains which when operated together created the sounds of rains and even thunderstorms! The inside of the beautiful palace called “Gopal Bhawan” is also replete with this theme. The palace complex is surrounded by water on three sides and even houses a marble building looted from the Mughal fort in Delhi.
The pleasure palaces are set around formal Mughal gardens and are considered by some to be second only to the Taj Mahal in their beauty and symmetry. The Bharatpur royal family lived in the palace here until 1951. Inside you can still see their furniture and objects d'art.
The palaces were built in the mid 1700’s as a place of refuge from the battles, the Bharatpur rulers were constantly engaged in. The pavilions mirror the architectural traditions of the Mughals, with drooping eaves, water channels, gardens, and carved archways. Inside, the walls are embellished with carved motifs of flowers and peacocks.
Amid the picturesque artificial lake of Kishore Sagar, constructed in 1346 AD by Prince Dher Deh of Bundi, stands the enchanting palace of Jag Mandir. The azure waters around the red-sandstone monument enhances its beauty. Boat-rides can be enjoyed in the lake. The Keshar Bagh famous for its royal cenotaphs lies in the vicinity..
