Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

The splendorous Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

Built in 1943 by Maharaja Umaid Singh of Rathore Dynasty, Jodhpur’s prestigious and distinguished Umaid Bhawan Palace is a wonderful blend of a rich and historical past and a well-appointed present. Today, part of it is a heritage hotel and a museum, while the rest is still the residence of Jodhpur’s present royal family, headed by Raja Gaj Singh. The splendour of the ancient times is present in the ambience, artefacts and architecture of this palace, so do see this one when in Jodhpur. 
History: This palace was commissioned to be built in 1929 to provide employment to the drought-stricken farmers of the region, so it overshot its schedule of completion. Inside the palace grounds, you can experience heritage walks, amazing dining, traditional hospitality and much more. 
Location: Situated on the dignified Chittar Hill, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is often called the Chittar Palace.The beauty of the palace grounds has been embellished by a beautifully laid out garden. 

Architecture: The architect for this exquisitely designed palace was Henry Vaughan Lanchester, a contemporary of the famous Sir Edwin Lutyens who designed the government buildings in New Delhi. The Umaid Bhawan Palace was designed on the same lines as the government buildings. The result was the Beaux Arts style or the Indian Deco style. It used western technology and prominent Indian architectural features to make it look royal and distinctive. 

Features: The palace had 347 rooms, many courtyards and a banquet hall meant for 300 people. The palace is divided into two wings. For the interiors, golden yellow sandstone, Burmese teakwood for the intricate woodwork and Makrana marble were used. 

A throne chamber, an exclusive meeting hall and a Durbar Hall, where the king would meet his subjects were constructed. Additionally, a vaulted banquet room, swimming pool, spa, private dining rooms and two superlative squash courts, a library, ball room and a billiards room and four tennis courts were constructed. 
In 2005, a part of the large palace was converted into a five-star hotel by the Taj Group of Hotels. 

The third part of the palace comprises the residence of the royal family.

Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum

A lavish spread of all things royal is spread all over this museum. Right from stuffed leopards to exquisite glass and chinaware, you’ll gasp at the amazing collection of memorabilia and the huge clock collection here and rare photos. 

Outside in the garden, you can check out the Maharajas' collection of classic cars. In the Darbar house, keep an eye out for kaleidoscopic paintings and murals & other household objects. 

Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel

A part of the original palace was converted in 1971 into a hotel comprising 70 guest rooms and Maharaja & Maharani Suites made up the redecorated hotel. From here, you can get a beautiful view of the verdant gardens and all around, you enjoy pure royalty. 

This five-star hotel provides top-of-the-line hotel facilities with both Indian fusion and Continental fare. There are a range of sporting activities to be enjoyed here too, apart from special facilities for the differently abled and doctor on call services. 
The Royal Residence

The Umaid Palace is known to be one of the world’s largest private residences. At the entrance is a coat of arms of the royal family. The lounge area is made up in pink sandstone and marble & the interiors has a fresco-decorated throne room. 

Conclusion
From this, you can see there’s a lot to see and admire in the Umaid Bhawan Palace and the museum. So, head over to it when in Jodhpur.