The City Palace of Jaipur

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, ruled Amber kingdom from 1699-1744. He shifted his capital from Amber to Jaipur in 1727 due an increase in population and increasing water shortage.
And initiated the construction of the City palace.

The City palace is situated in the heart of the old Jaipur City, and it occupies about one seventh of the area. This palace complex showcases the grandeur of the royal past. It houses a series of courtyards, gardens and structures, the most prominent ones are:

Diwan -E- Khas - or the 'Hall Of Private Audience'. After crossing the first square, one comes across this hall which was meant for private audience. The famous mammoth silver vessels are on display in this hall.

Diwan-I-Aam - was meant for public audience, at present, is an art gallery which showcases enthralling painted ceilings and rare ancient handwritten original manuscripts of Hindu scriptures.

Chandra Mahal - This seven storeyed palace, displays wonderful architecture with delicate paintings, floral decorations and mirror work on the walls. The topmost floor is known as Mukut Mahal. In the present day, this palace serves as the residence of ex-ruler. The complex contains an excellent museum of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and has an extensive collection of art, carpets, enamelware and old weapons.

Badal Mahal - stands opposite to Chandra Mahal.

Shri Govind Dev Temple - stands in the middle of the Chandra Mahal and the Badal Mahal.


Mubarak Mahal - built by Maharaja Madho Singh, is converted into a costume gallery, which displays royal attires of the kings.

Maharani's Palace - which was meant for royal queens, has been converted into a museum, and display weapons dated back to the 15th century.


Seeing is Believing !

Hawa Mahal – Jaipur’s landmark

Our Jaipur journey began with the landmark of the city, the Hawa Mahal , an imposing structure. The name literally means Palace of winds or Palace of the Breeze.

Built 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Usta it depicts the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. The pyramidal shape combined with the numerous screened windows makes the structure look like a giant honeycomb.



This 5 storied stunning semi-octagonal monument has 953 small windows called jharokhas, decorated with intrinsic lattice work and is a fine piece of Rajput architecture. The latticed windows allowed the royal ladies to view the everyday life in the street below from the palace without being seen.

The beauty of the Hawa Mahal lies in its fragile appearance, which belies its strength.

The interiors are connected by ramps and there are no stairs to reach the upper floors. A unique feature of the building is that it remains cool even during the harsh summers. This is due to the excellent ventilation that allows cool air to freely flow throughout the building.

Situated on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Jaipur’s business centre, in the middle of the bustling Johari Bazaar, near the Badi Chaupad (the big square), this palace rises to a height of 50 feet. It is built of red and pink sandstone and forms a part of the City Palace, which was our next stop.