Umaid Bhawan Palace

History

In the 1920s, Jodhpur suffered adverse drought and famine for three years in a row. The farmers went to King Umaid Singh, the 37th Rathore ruler of Marwar at Jodhpur for seeking help. In order to help them, the king ordered the construction of Umaid Bhawan Palace for providing them employment. He commissioned Henry Vaughan Lanchester as the lead architect. The construction was deliberately done at a slow pace to serve the main purpose. The construction of the palace started in the year 1929 and continued till 1943.

Architecture

The palace is a majestic blend of Western technology and Indian architectural features. It extends in an area of 26 acres of which 15 acres are covered by beautifully maintained gardens. It also houses a museum where you can take a peek at the history relating to the 20th century of the royal family. With an estimated cost of approximately 11 million rupees, it was opened in 1943 as one of the world’s largest private residences. It comprises of 347 rooms, courtyards and a large banquet hall which could accommodate 300 people. Dun-colored sandstone, makrana marble and Burmese teak wood were used in making of the structure. It represents a magnificent amalgam of Indo-Saracenic, Classical Revival and Western Art Deco styles.

In 1971, Gaj Singh II decided to convert a part of the palace into a hotel. Today, it is categorized into three parts - private residence of the royal family, a luxury Taj Palace Hotel and a museum. Maharaja Gaj Singh, also known as ‘bapji’, lives in a part of the palace. One of the striking features is 103 ft. high inner vaulted dome covered by another 43 ft. high dome. The hotel part of the palace is administered by the Taj Group of Hotels and is called the 'Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur’. The museum is themed on the 20th-century history of the royal family. You will see exhibits like a huge symbolic flag given to Maharaja Jaswant Singh by Queen Victoria in 1877, lighthouse shapes, even the vintage cars used by Maharajas.