The “City Palace” in the Pink City is the former residence of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of the city of Jaipur. The Maharaja left many important buildings and forts in Jaipur as his principality. Built in the 18th century, the architecture of this palace is a great example of a mixture of Mughal and Rajputana styles.
To enter the City Palace, tourists have to pass through seven gates which still stand in all their grandeur. As you enter the premises of this palace, there is Mubarak Mahal which was once used to welcome guests.
Chandra Mahal, Diwan-e-Khas, Govind Dev Ji Temple etc. are the other main buildings of this palace. The rest of the palace has been converted into Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum which houses the Maharaja’s royal clothes, weapons, pashmina shawls, Banarasi sarees, Sanganeri prints and samples of royal embroidery.
The outer walls of the City Palace were constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh between 1729 and 1732 AD. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh shifted his principality from Amer to Jaipur due to water shortage. The chief architect who designed this palace was Vidyadhar Bhattacharya who laid the foundation of this palace according to Vastu Shastra. Later, the successor of the Maharaja, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh, built other buildings in the premises of this palace.
