City Palace Jaipur

The City Palace Complex was conceived and built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. A beautiful fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture, the palace is still home to the last ruling royal family which lives in a private section of the palace. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II is credited with building most of the structures, but it was expanded upon by later rulers as well. The City Palace Complex includes the Mubarak Mahal (the palace of reception) and the Maharani’s Palace (the palace of the queen). Mubarak Mahal now houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum and displays a vast and unique collection of royal costumes, delicate Pashmina (Kashmiri) shawls, Benaras silk saris, and other dresses with Sanganeri prints and folk embroidery. The clothes of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I are also on display. The Maharani's Palace, surprisingly, has an interesting display of very well-preserved Rajput weaponry, some dating back to the 15th century. Other than the arms, the palace is adorned with beautiful paintings on the ceiling that are well-maintained.

History of City Palace
City Palace was built by Sawai Jai Singh who headed the Kachwaha Rajput Clan and holds the credit of being the founder of Jaipur. The palace served as his residing throne and he started the construction of the palace way in the 17th century as he wanted to shift the capital of the state from Amber to Jaipur. Raja Man Singh II was the last ruler of this dynasty to hold the throne in this palace. The beautiful structure was designed by architects Vidyadhar Bhattacharya and Samuel Swinton Jacob who brought a European influence to the design.

Architecture of City Palace
The original structure of City Palace was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II who started with the outer wall. Over the decades since then, buildings and courtyards were added to the premises and so all the structures inside the palace date bear a different timestamp. The architectural style of City Place is a beautiful mélange of Rajput, European and Mughal style. Built out of red and pink sandstone, this palace has vast courtyards surrounded by several arched smaller palaces. These small palaces have now been converted into museums and tourists can move around the palace either on their own or take a guided tour. At several places inside City Palace, especially as you move from one courtyard to the other, you will see relics of the past like cannons and tall sculptures that catch your eye and make you stop to capture the image. Do not forget to admire the breathtaking structure of the palace as soon as you enter the main gate.