City Palace, Jaipur

The City Palace stands in the heart of the Old City of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, beside Gangori Bazaar. Sawai Jai Singh II began the complex in 1727 as the centrepiece of the planned city he founded after leaving Amer, and the royal family of Jaipur governed from it until 1949, when the princely state merged into the Indian Union. Later maharajas, notably Sawai Madho Singh II and Sawai Man Singh II, added courtyards and pavilions, so the palace blends Rajput, Mughal and European elements in sandstone and marble. Named structures include the seven-storey Chandra Mahal, still partly a royal residence; the Mubarak Mahal, built in the late 19th century as a reception hall for guests; the Diwan-i-Khas, a hall of private audience holding two huge silver vessels; and the Pritam Niwas Chowk, whose four small gateways, the Peacock Gate among them, represent the seasons and Hindu deities. The Diwan-i-Aam houses an art gallery of manuscripts and miniature paintings. The layout follows a sequence of courtyards, each opening into the next, so visitors move from outer public spaces towards inner private ones, and parts of the museum are arranged thematically by collection, with textiles, arms and carpets in separate galleries. The complex remains partly a private residence, with the royal family occupying sections of the Chandra Mahal, and a portion of the palace operates as a heritage hotel. The Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust runs the museum areas and has carried out conservation work on painted ceilings, mirrored halls and textile collections, while the exterior walls retain the pink wash applied to the city in 1876 for a visit by the Prince of Wales. The palace sits next to the Jantar Mantar observatory and a short walk from Hawa Mahal, so the three are often visited together. Ticket tiers vary, with a higher-priced option giving access to the Chandra Mahal interior, and guided or audio-led tours explain the royal lineage of the Kachwaha dynasty.