Umaid Bhawan Palace is the largest private residence in the world. There are 372 rooms, wood-panelled library, private museum, indoor swimming pool, billiards room, tennis courts and unique marble squash courts. All these things make Umaid Bhawan Palace one of the most magnificent structures in the city.
The palace was built with a purpose to employ the farmers of Jodhpur. It was made between 1928 and 1943 under the reign of Maharaja Umaid Singh. The Umaid Bhwan Palace was designed by the renowned architecture, Henry Lanchester, and shows a blend of eastern and western architectural influences. Its majestic 105 - foot high cupola is influenced by the Renaissance, while the towers draw inspiration from Rajput tradition.
The main attractions of Umaid Bhawan includes a collection of vintage cars, clocks and banners gifted by Queen Victoria, artefacts belonging to the royals, cutleries, trophies and weapons.
History and Legend
Umaid Bhawan Palace was originally designed by H V Lanchester, a well-known Edwardian architect. After the palace disheveled on 18th November 1929, again the foundation stone was laid by Maharaja himself on Chittar hill.
There were around fifty thousand men and women, who worked for more than fifteen years to construct this majestic palace, under the supervision of architect Goldstraw. The architect use to get thousand rupees per month and the workers were paid only fifty paisa a day.
All the colored stones which were used in the construction of the building were brought by a special train. And the skilled workers cut the big pieces of stones into intricate design form. The imposing palace cost Maharaja around rupees 94, 51,565.
Architecture of Umaid Bhavan Palace
The palace was built in Beaux Arts style and has two wings. Golden yellow sandstone, Makrana marble and Burmese Teak wood were used for the intricate woodwork on the inside of the palace. The palace had 347 rooms, several courtyards, and a banquet hall with a capacity of 300 people. The palace consists of a throne chamber, an exclusive private meeting hall, a Durbar Hall to meet the public, a vaulted banquet hall, swimming pool and spa, private dining halls, two unique marble squash courts, a ball room, a library, an indoor, a billiards room, four tennis courts, and long passages.
Gaj Singh II who succeeded his father decided in 1971 to convert a part of the palace into a hotel. The hotel has 70 guest rooms and it also includes the Maharaja and Maharani Suites. The Maharaja Suite has a black marble flooring and a curved mirror dome, while the Maharani suite has a parquet flooring and offers a great view of the garden. The banquet hall in the past is now the large restaurant in the hotel premises.
Best Time To Visit Umaid Bhawan Palace
Morning hours are perfect for a visit to this destination. The best season would be the Winter months of October- March.
