5 Most Beautiful Palaces you should see in Jaipur

1. City Palace

Located about 13Kms away from the Jaipur Airport, the City Palace is the residence of the Royal Family, in the middle of the old city. It was built between 1729 and 1732 with an architectural style inspired by Rajasthani, Mughal and European Architecture. It was built by Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of the city of Jaipur, who also built the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm for visitors. The ticket costs about 300 INR for foreign visitors and 75 INR for Indian locals. This palace complex is home to Mukut Mahal, Maharani’s Palace, Shri Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. A part of the Palace is a museum and the rest is the Royal resident. One of the most interesting items in the palace is two sterling silver jars that are officially recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest sterling silver vessels.

2. Samode Palace

At a distance of 56Kms from the Jaipur Airport, is the Samode Palace which was initially built as a Rajput fort in the sixteenth century and converted into a palace built in the fusion style of Rajput and Muslim architecture in the early 19th century. The heritage monument, Samode Palace was built by the hereditary title of ‘Maha Rawal’ of the Amber and Jaipur principality in Rajasthan, India. The palace is built of sandstone at the foot of Aravalli range of hills. The interiors are composed of intricately ornamented pillars, marble floors, mosaic floors, old wall paintings etc. At the entrance gate of the palace is a unique piece of a large-sized treasure chest made of dark wood with marble settings and gleaming glass. The Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors) is located on the southern side of the palace.

3. Amber Palace

Amber Palace is a fort-palace made of red sandstone and marble, located at a distance of 24 Kms from the Jaipur Airport. It is open for visitors from 8 am to 5:30 pm daily. The entry fee for Foreign Nationals is 150 INR (Including camera) while it is 25 INR for Indians. The best time to visit Amber Fort is late October to early March. Amber gets its name from Amba Mata, the fertility and earth goddess of the Minas. Amber Fort is reflected in the pretty Maota Lake which makes it look like a scene of a fairyland. A particular attraction here is the “magic flower” fresco carved in marble which has seven unique designs of fishtail, a lotus, a hooded cobra, an elephant trunk, a lion’s tail, a cob of corn and a scorpion. Amber Fort can be entered on a composite ticket which allows entry on the same day to Nahargarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, and Hawa Mahal.

4. Rajmahal Palace

Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II built the Rajmahal Palace for his beloved wife in the year 1729. It is at a distance of 10 Kms from the Jaipur Airport. Initially, it was called Ma Ji Ka Bagh. It was later named as the Residency in 1821. It got converted into a hotel under Jaipur Tourism. Although the guest list of this palace includes the most famous personalities, in 1980 the palace was converted into a hotel and since then has become an integral part of Jaipur tourism.

5. Jal Mahal

The actual Jal Mahal is off-limits for tourists but the beautiful location is a sight that can’t be missed. It stands tall in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. The place around the Jal Mahal is decorated with royal chhatris, cenotaphs, and clear blue waters. It is open for visitors from 9 am to 5 pm daily and is located at a distance of 20 Kms from the Jaipur Airport. The Mahal showcases the Rajput style of architecture on a grand scale. It is made of red sandstone and has 5 floors out of which 4 are underwater when the lake is full. There are octagonal chhatris on the four corners and on on the roof which is of Bengal type. The cenotaphs are in honor of Pratap Singh, Madho Singh II, and Jai Singh II among others. Jai Singh II’s cenotaph is made of marble and has impressive intricate carvings. It has a dome with 20 carved pillars.ding