Umaid Bhawan Palace

A spectacular construction which is the principal residence of the royal family of Jodhpur is the Umaid Bhawan Palace. Located in the Blue City – Jodhpur of Rajasthan, India the Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the largest private residences of India. At present a part of the palace is converted into a luxurious five star hotel and is managed by the renowned Taj group of hotels. Housing 347 rooms, the remaining part of the Palace is a museum and the private residence of Maharaja Gaj Singh- the present heir of the royal family of Jodhpur.

Today counted amongst one of the best luxury hotels, Umaid Bhawan Palace has also been recently awarded as World’s Best hotel by some entity.

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History

It was in 1929 that the foundation for this grand palace was laid by Maharaja Umaid Singh- the grandfather of present owner Maharaja Gaj Singh and the construction work was completed in 1943. It is said that the main aim behind the construction of the palace was to provide employment to thousands of people in the time of famine. The place was in serious drought for several years due to the curse of a Saint.

The then king of Rathore dynasty derived the idea of constructing a lavish Palace to provide employment to the famers whose fields have rendered useless and they used this opportunity to get a steady income.

The location chosen for the Palace was found out to barren with no hint of water supply and the quarries being too far from the place of construction. The Maharaja to facilitate the transportation of building materials got constructed a Railway line. The Palace came in its present from after laborious work of thousands of people for years.

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Built with yellow sandstone, the Palace is an enormous structure and looks absolutely stunning with setting amidst lush green lawns that surrounds the palace. Not just the exterior but interiors of the palace are also made gorgeous with use of Makrana marble and Burmese Teak wood.  

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For many years after its constructions the palace did not remain in functioning owing to the tragic events in the royal family. Umaid Singh lived in the Palace for only four years before his death in 1947. His son also died in young age. In 1971, Gaj Singh, the grandson of Umaid Singh dedicated a part of this residence for heritage hotel.

Notable attractions of the Umaid Bhawan Palace

Palace

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The architectural style depicted through the palace is Indo- Deco style or the then in vogue Beaux Arts style. The Interior dome of the Palace is absolutely stunning and is the chief atraction. Decorated in classical revival style, the palace houses many interesting chambers like throne room, private meeting hall, private dinner hall, public meeting hall, library, ballroom, spa, indoor swimming pool, royal sauna, marble squash court, tennis courts and much more.

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Hotel

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Undoubtedly one of the best in the world, the heritage hotel is an experience in itself with legacies of the past and luxuries of the present. The hotel has 64 guest rooms with royal suites of king and queen, a banquet hall and a restaurant.

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Museum

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Holding reminiscences of the past, the museum lets you have look in the history of the place. Inside the museum you will see vintage clock collections, ancient photographs of the palace, classic cars of the king, porcelain wares, memorabilia, mural paintings, miniature paintings and more such royal stuff from the history.

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Best time to visit

The best time to visit the palace is from October to March.

How to reach

Nearest airport- Jodhpur Airport

Nearest Railway station- Jodhpur Railway station that is connected to the entire major cities of the country.

Jodhpur is well connected by roads from all major cities.