City Palace Udaipur

City Palace Udaipur lake view

City Palace, Udaipur, is a palace complex in Udaipur, in the Indian state Rajasthan, built over a period of nearly 400 years by several kings of the dynasty. It is located on the east bank of the Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex. Udaipur was the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar.

The City Palace in Udaipur was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in Rajasthan, a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles, and was built on a hill top that gives a panoramic view of the city and its surrounding, including several historic monuments such as the Lake Palace in Lake Pichola, the Jag Mandir on another island in the lake, the Jagdish Temple close to the palace, the Monsoon Palace on top of an overlooking hillock nearby and the Neemach Mata temple. These structures are linked to the filming of the James Bond movie Octopussy, which features the Lake Palace and the Monsoon Palace.

The City Palace is opened from 9AM to 5PM daily and the entry fee is Rs 115 for foreigners.

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City Palace architecture

City  Palace Udaipur details

City Palace Udaipur birdcages

< City Palace Udaipur view

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Inside the City Palace Udaipur

City Palace poolside

City Palace Udaipur poolside tree

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City Palace decorations

City Palace Flower Decorations

City Palace Udaipur artisan work

City Palace fresco 1

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City Palace Udaipur sunset

Hawa Mahal – Jaipur

Hawa Mahal or the “Palace of Winds” or “Palace of the Breeze”, is a palace in Jaipur, so named because it was essentially a high screen wall built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivities while unseen from the outside. Constructed of red and pink sandstone, the palace sits on the edge of the City Palace.

The structure was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god. Its unique five-storey exterior is akin to the honeycomb of a beehive with its 953 small windows decorated with intricate latticework. The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to obey strict “purdah” (face cover). The lattice also allows cool air through the intricate pattern, cooling the palace during the high temperatures in summers.

The palace is open daily from 9AM to 4:30PM and the entry fee is Rs 30 for foreigners (an extra Rs30 for a still camera) and Rs 10 for Indian citizens.

Hawa Mahal Palace Jaipur

Hawa Mahal Palace Jaipur

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View from the Hawa Mahal Palace Jaipur

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Street view from the Hawa Mahal Palace Jaipur

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