Udaipur is the princely state of Rajasthan with the most magnificent building of City Palace built in the center of the city by Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia clan in 1567 AD. It is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan made of marble and granite, overlooking the Pichola Lake and circumscribed with indented fort walls. Within the City Palace Complex there are four important palaces while there are many minor palaces too. The major tourist attractions in the palace complex are the Mor Chowk or the Peacock Courtyard, Tripolia Gate, Rai Angaan or the Royal Courtyard.
The City Palace complex encompasses some beautiful breathtaking palaces, temples and well-laid gardens with fountains. The palace structures have a unique blend of Chinese and European architecture. The main entrance of the palace complex is through the ‘Elephant Gate’ or the ‘Hati Pol’. The exquisite temple in white marble dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Jagdish Temple is situated here. The northern gate called the Bara Pol or the Great Gate opens to the first courtyard and leads to the triple gate or the ‘Tripolia’. In between the Triple gate and the Barapol there are eight carved arches or ‘Toranas’ under which the rulers were weighed against silver and gold which was distributed to the poor.
The royalty of the kingly life can be gauged at the elephant fights that were staged beyond the Tripolia. The rugged and austere looking exterior is but appearance made deceptive. One look in the inner chambers of the palace reveals the grandeur and beauty of the apartments. The hanging gardens, the intricately designed balconies, towers nad domes and the serene beauty of the lake below enthralls one.
The Royal Courtyard or the ‘Raj Angan’ is the oldest part of the palace. Most of the palaces are now museums with well-preserved art and artifacts of the royal days. The glass inlays, miniature paintings and antique furniture are displayed.
'Krishna Vilas' is the archive of remarkable miniature paintings portraying festivals, the games played by the Maharajas and the royal processions. '
Mor Chowk' has beautiful peacocks made in glass mosaics and engraved in the walls depicting the summer, winter and monsoon seasons. Ruby Palace or the 'Manak Mahal' has figurines of porcelain and crystal. The legends of Radha and Krishna are depicted in glass mosaic in the walls of 'Bhim Vilas' while the '
Suraj Gokhala' has beautiful stained glass windows. The '
Zenana Mahal', is the queen’s quarters with exquisite lattice window works while the '
Dilkusha Mahal’ or the Palace of Joy has murals and wall paintings. The '
Laxmi Vilas Chowk' is an art archive with a rich collection of Mewar paintings.
The Moti Mahal or the Palace of Pearls is lavishly decorated and the Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of mirrors is studded with mirror works. Chinese and Dutch ornamental tiles are used to design the 'Chini Chitrashala'. Built on a 90 feet high rock is the Hawa Mahal and the Bari Mahal with the garden. The Amar Villas is the exquisite palace with hanging gardens and fountains, towers and turrets with a breathtaking view of the lake below.
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