The Most Spectacular Palaces in India. The most beautiful Indian palaces Palaces of Indian Maharajas
A hundred years ago, there were about 600 principalities in British India, ruled by local monarchs - maharajas, nawabs and nizams. After India gained independence in 1947, they lost power but retained numerous privileges, treasures and palaces. Nowadays, most of the residences have museums, but only part of the palace premises is open to tourists - the remaining luxurious chambers are still inhabited by maharajas or their descendants.
Maharana Palace in Udaipur (Rajasthan, India)
The city of Udaipur, founded in the mid-16th century, was the capital of the Rajput princely state of Mewar, the eldest native princely state of British India. Here is one of the largest and most beautiful palaces in India, which today is called City Palace. Construction of the building began in 1559 on the orders of maharana (as monarchs are called in the local dialect) Udai Singh and lasted more than 300 years. Finally, on the shores of the beautiful Lake Pichola, a huge palace complex grew up, which combined the features of local Rajasthani, as well as Mughal and European architecture.
[:RU]There are many palaces in India. Each of them is magnificent in its own way - be it the bright colors, arches and domes, or the beautiful gardens. Many of the palaces are still the official residences of royalty, while others have been converted into luxury hotels. From the famous Mysore Palace to the floating Jal Mahal, here are some of India's most beautiful palaces.
Shesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is the most famous part of Jaipur's Amber Fort. Pictures and flowers cut from glass cover the walls and ceilings, giving the palace its name.
The elaborate design of the five-story Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, in Jaipur was meant to allow the women of the royal family to watch the festivities outside the palace, as they were not allowed to appear in public.
Udaipur City Palace is a complex of 11 majestic palaces with gardens, gates, courtyards, terraces and corridors on the banks of Lake Pichola.
The Mysore Palace in the state of Karnataka in southern India is still the official residence of the Maharajas of Mysore. The palace was completed in 1912 and is a mixture of several styles of architecture: Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic.
Mysore is the most impressive of the Indian palaces at night.
A stunning architectural masterpiece built from white marble, the Taj Mahal is India's most famous monument. It houses the tomb of the wife of the former Mughal emperor.
Both a luxury hotel and residence of the Jodhpur royal family, Umaid Bhawwan Palace is located on 26 acres and is entirely built of sandstone, giving it a unique look.
Known as the Palace of Water, Jal Mahal looks as if it is a floating city in the middle of the Sagar River in Jaipur. The building has four floors below the surface of the water. The majestic palace has now been transformed into an exclusive high-class restaurant.
Fatehpur Sikri means city of victory. Built by the Mughal emperor in the 16th century as the capital of the empire - and then abandoned due to lack of water - the complex of temples, palaces and monuments is made entirely of bright red sandstone.
The City Palace, built in the 18th century by the Amer ruler, is now part of Jaipur.
Within the City Palace, there are other palaces: Chandra Mahal, which now houses a museum, and Mubarak Mahal.
Built in the city of Hyderabad in the late 19th century during the reign of the Nizams, Chowmahalla Palace was the place where the royal family entertained their guests.
The Nizams were part of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, which ruled until 1948.
The Lakshmi Vilas Palace is one of the grandest in Vadodara - formerly known as Baroda - a city located in the western state of Gujarat. The royal family of Vadodara still resides here.
It took 6 million rupees to build this palace. The palace boasts gardens, a golf course and magnificent interiors filled with chandeliers, artwork and mosaics.
Bangalore Palace is located in the southwestern state of Karnataka and is owned by the same family that also owns Mysore Palace.
It is built in a Tudor style, making it an interesting landmark that contrasts with many of the other buildings around it. The floor designs are fantastic. If you want to decorate your floor in the house with beautiful patterns in the style of ceramic tiles, granite or parquet, then on the portal http://contractpol.com.ua/category/linoleum/ you can choose linoleum options with the most incredible patterns.
Originally built in 1835 for the Queen of Jaipur's favorite maidservant, Rambaj Palace was later rebuilt into a hunting lodge and renamed by the reigning Maharaja: Sawai Ram Singh II. Now it is a luxury hotel.
A 17th-century palace turned luxury hotel, Jagmandir Palace is located on its own island in Lake Pichola in Udaipur. Guests are transported to the palace, which is often referred to as the "garden of heaven."
The palace, which looks like a fairy-tale vision, is not for nothing considered the main attraction of Jaipur. The amazing structure in the shape of Krishna's crown has five floors, 953 windows and no stairs, but has a unique ventilation system that allows you to stay cool on the hottest day. It was built from pink sandstone for the many wives of the Maharaja.
History of Hawa Mahal
The amazing palace was built when Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh became the head of the Dhundhar principality. Historians believe that the Palace of the Winds was completely finished no later than 1799.
Each room of the unique palace was very beautiful and cozy, but completely unsuitable for permanent residence due to its small size. However, the building was not intended for this.
The main function of the palace was to provide the entire harem with the opportunity to observe what was happening on the street, especially during holidays. In fact, the fairy-tale palace was like a closed theater box, through the tiny windows of which one could contemplate life outside the walls of the palace. At the same time, no one could see the women’s faces, as was intended by the ruler.
The jharoka balconies adorning the palace were closed to fully comply with the tradition of purdah, which prohibits a woman from appearing in front of strangers. If the maharaja had not built Hawa Mahal for them, the girls from the harem, who were constantly locked up, would not have seen what was happening outside the walls of the palace.
Structural features
Numerous loopholes and artificially created cracks on the outside look like exquisite stone lace. Each window in the palace is no larger than the size of a person's head. But their large number creates the possibility of air movement, which is why Hawa Mahal always remains cool.
Surprisingly, the higher the air temperature outside, the stronger the wind blows in the palace. That is why the unique building got its name - the Palace of the Winds.
It seems that a five-story building requires numerous staircases and passages. However, instead of stairs, the palace has special ramps that allow you to move from floor to floor. What prompted this decision is unknown, but the fact remains: in the five-tier structure there are no stairs at all. It was quite easy to go down these ramps, but to make it easier to climb to the upper floors, special notches were made on each flight. Thanks to them, the beauties' shoes did not slip, and they could easily walk to their floor.
Hawa Mahal embodies the best traditions of oriental architecture of those times. There is a Moorish arch and lattice windows with colored stained glass, which not only look beautiful, but also create a feeling of magic, thanks to the numerous multi-colored rays of the sun penetrating through the glass.
The thickness of the walls of the palace does not exceed 20 centimeters, and the entire structure, when viewed from the side, appears flat. Despite the many windows, bay windows and decorative elements, the palace does not look heavy. On the contrary, when viewed from the streets of Jaipur, Hawa Mahal appears incredibly graceful, almost lacy.
Hawa Mahal today
There is music inside the palace and many tourists who visited Hawa Mahal admit that they were left with the feeling of a fairytale dream. If the music stops, you can hear the palace itself singing. The wind, penetrating inside through numerous openings, whistles slightly, so it seems that the palace is performing its own oriental song.
Due to the fact that Hawa Mahal was built with the aim of protecting the maharaja’s women from prying eyes, it does not have an entrance from the elegant facade. He hides in the courtyard and can be found if you walk around the palace on the left side.
If you climb to the very top of Hawa Mahal, the visitor will see an amazing view of Jaipur. On one side you can look at the Jantar Mantar and the City Palace, and on the other, at the city bazaar called Siredeori.
On the territory of Hawa Mahal there is a small archaeological museum. It contains a wonderful collection of miniatures and unique ceremonial armor.
The palace is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but experienced travelers recommend seeing Hawa Mahal early in the morning. You can visit the inside at any time, but from the outside the palace looks like an illustration to an oriental fairy tale when it is illuminated by the rays of the rising sun.
Apart from the amazing Palace of the Winds, Jainpur boasts one of the observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734. In total, under his leadership, five uniquely shaped structures were erected, each of which had a special functional purpose. and unites buildings to which the architect gave bizarre geometric shapes.
Location: northern India, Uttar Pradesh, bank of the Jamna River, southern outskirts of the city of Agra.
How to get there: on your own in a rented car (200 km south of Delhi, the car will have to be parked 2 km before the mausoleum), by express train (2 hours drive) or bus (4 hours drive) from the capital, or as part of an organized excursion.
Working hours: from 6:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, except Friday (at this time prayers are held in the mosque). Night viewing is possible during the full moon.
Entrance: 750 rupees (about $15).
Shooting: allowed in the general plan at the entrance; photographing the architectural details of the mausoleum is prohibited.
India is beautiful, distant, mysterious, exotic... What comes to mind first when you hear the mention of this country? Buddhism, Gandhi, elephants, Kama Sutra, lotuses, black-eyed beauties in colored saris, Kipling's fairy tales, Goa beaches - there is something for everyone. But if you ask anyone to name the most striking architectural monument in India, we assure you that the vast majority will remember exactly this snow-white openwork temple-tomb - the Taj Mahal, a monument to great love, an unofficial symbol of India, considered by many to be one of the modern wonders of the world.
History of creation
The romantic and tragic story of the creation of this mausoleum was not retold with a stingy tear, except by the laziest guide. In the middle of the 17th century, the grandiose building was built at the behest of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who thus wanted to perpetuate the memory of his beloved third wife, who died during the birth of their 14th child. More than twenty thousand skilled craftsmen from all over Asia, under the supervision of the Council of Architects of the Empire, worked for about 20 years to create a miracle complex.
White marble, turned into real lace by stone carvers, precious and semi-precious stones, bronze, gold and silver - the inconsolable emperor spared no expense and materials for the construction. By the way, the great warrior and enlightened ruler Shah Jahan is the customer not only of this white marble mausoleum, but also of several other equally beautiful, but slightly less famous architectural masterpieces of India: the Pearl Mosque in Agra, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas in Delhi, Shahjahanabad.
According to legend, another black palace was to be built opposite the white palace, connected to it by a marble bridge, as a tomb for the emperor himself. Whether this is true or not, after his death Shah Jahan was buried in the Taj, next to his beloved wife. And before that, the overthrown ruler allegedly looked at his monument of love for many years through the window of the prison into which he was thrown by his own son, who rebelled against his father.
Mausoleum in Agra
Lyricism is lyrical, but from an architectural point of view, the Taj Mahal is truly impressive and is rightfully considered a jewel of Muslim art, which has absorbed elements of several styles at once.
The white marble mausoleum on a square pedestal, the building with high arched openings - the center of a symmetrically built complex - is more than 70 meters high. Its main “onion” dome is surrounded by four smaller ones of the same shape. All domes are decorated with gilded bronze figures in the Persian style (there is a crescent moon on the central dome). Along the edges of the platform there are four forty-meter minarets with balconies. And inside the mausoleum there are two carved tombs, decorated with colored mosaics - Shah Jahan and his beloved wife. The entire surface of the mausoleum is decorated with carvings, ornaments, stone flowers, gilding, and inscriptions from the Koran.
To the left of the tomb is a red sandstone mosque, and a replica of it is to the right. Adjacent to the mausoleum is a once luxurious garden with fruit trees, fountains and a swimming pool. Today, the park is just a vast grassy area with a row of cypress trees around a long canal. Also on the territory of the complex there are several low structures made of the same red sandstone - the tombs of the wives and the favorite servant of the Shah.
Our days
By the end of the 19th century, the mausoleum fell into disrepair and was largely plundered by the British military. In addition, its polished marble walls were adversely affected by the shallowing of the nearby river and general environmental pollution (Agra was home to hazardous industries for a long time). The once shining walls darkened and cracks appeared in them. The world landmark had to be urgently saved.
The complex has already undergone one large-scale reconstruction, the environmental protection zone around it is constantly expanding, the walls are regularly cleaned with white clay, hundreds of security personnel are always on duty around it, but so far the measures taken are not enough.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Several million tourists from all over the world visit it every year, bringing good income to the state.
The best time to visit the mausoleum is considered to be early in the morning, when there are few people around and in the pre-dawn silence the first rays of the sun paint the marble walls with unusually delicate colors and reflections. Centuries later, the majestic and graceful Taj Mahal still inspires and delights romantics from all corners of the earth.
To my great surprise, in several states of India I saw huge, luxurious, including interior, palaces built by Europeans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Two of them were built in the so-called Indo-Saracenic style.
The first one, which stunned me with its scope, was Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara(more commonly known as the city of Baroda) in the state. Its length is probably about 200 meters. A high tower, like a bell tower, rises above the palace.
And in front of the palace there is a large green square with fountains! Rich interior, in Greek style, swimming pool, mosaic floor, stained glass windows, high, beautifully decorated ceiling. And numerous paintings by artists!
I saw a second, even larger palace in Mysore city/Mysore to the state. The interior is very rich, with many different collections. It's a pity we couldn't take pictures. The area in front of the palace is decorated with various sculptures and small buildings. Every Sunday evening, 96 thousand electric lamps are lit at the palace! The spectacle is indescribably bright.
The famous Dussehra festival in India is celebrated on the green field in front of the palace. With dancing, music, a parade with elephants.
Looking ahead, I will say that I saw palaces of similar beauty in Jodhpur, and in Udaipur in the state. . But that's another story. But no less beautiful!
I traveled to the city of Baroda from Gandhinagar by city bus, 2 hours. And I came to Mysore on the way to Kerala.
Baroda is a very large and, by the way, expensive city (hotel 1200 rupees). Not far from it (47 km) there are the remains of the ancient capital of the 8th century. Arch, fort, 6 km fortress wall. The place is called Champaner, it is guarded.
Nearby is Pavanagh, an 800-meter hill with a 10th-century temple.
The city of Mysore is positioned, as they now say, as an international center of Ashtanga yoga.
The city is also known for its high-quality and very beautiful silk (they can sew you any shirt in one day). Lots of sandalwood products.
