Umaid Bhawan Palace - Last Great Palace Built in India

There are present day royalties living in India. And they live in palaces.

From Girdikot, I hired an auto rickshaw near my guest house and after profuse haggling; we arrived at an acceptable deal that would take me to Umaid Bhawan Palace – and back! The palace is located a mere 5 kilometer from the center of town. I was able to pull it down from 500 rupees down to 200 rupees, and if others don’t think it’s sufficient, I was pleased with that.

This took me out of the narrow seemingly aimless alleys of the old city to a wide highway called Circuit House Road. I saw camels pulling carts by the road side. Getting there felt farther than 5 kilometers. After all, the desert terrain of the place is further accentuated by the upward sloping that leads to Chittar Hills where the palace stands.

We finally reached the gated compound. The large bars outside didn’t provide access. Every vehicle that came took the road to the right wing of the compound where another gate welcomed visitors. But access is limited to the palace’s museum which isn’t really much. But you can’t complain when the entrance fee is a mere 3 rupees, can you? It is a private residence – one of the world’s largest

Umaid Bhawan Palace is an architectural wonder made of golden yellow – with a dash of light pink – sandstones. It’s named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner, Gaj Singh. The maharaja (supposedly, the “a” suffix at the end of the word is rightfully silent, thus “maharadz”) employed sandstones from Chittar thus its other pen name, Chittar Palace! Chittar Hill is the highest point in Jodhpur, thus it provides amazing views of the town down below!

Gaj Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur. He's Eton and Oxford educated - he obtained a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford's Christ Church. He became maharaja at age 4 when his father died from a plane crash!

DROUGHT AND SUICIDE

Umaid Bhawan Palace started construction in November 18, 1929 at a time when India and the region was bristling from severe drought! They employed 3,000 workers and took 15 years to finish (1943). What’s even more notable is the architect who designed it – Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, the president of the British Royal Institute of Architects no less! East meets West in architectural style; its 105-foot cupola is a throwback from the Renaissance, while the towers are Rajput influenced. The interiors had contributions from self-exiled and controversial Polish artist Stefan Norblin (he escaped Poland during the war; won huge commissions for works on maharaja’s projects; migrated to the US and committed suicide when he started to go blind)!

The palace boasts of 347 rooms. And most of this behemoth has been turned into a luxury hotel – the Taj Palace Hotel, where their cheapest room would cost you close to $400 a night! The palace is divided into 3 parts: a residence of the royal family, a hotel, and a museum (the only accessible place to visit for tourists).

The rooms to visit are rather limited, as mentioned. But I'm able to walk a few deserted hallways between rooms. The rest has been cordoned off. There were old weapons, decorative items and gadgets that reflected the opulence of the era. Beautiful painted murals are also on display in some hallways. The compound covers 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of land, 15 of them are gardens. Construction cost 94,051,561 rupees ($1.88 million) at that time which included loads of Makrana marbles.

Though the whole structure was impressive, it felt less than fulfilling because of all the limitations. I know I’m not supposed to complain. It's more of an impression of a planned travel undertaking. It is a private institution, that much is clear. Still, as a destination, it was a bit of a disappointment. It was like finding oneself inside Buckingham Palace (I’ve been fortunate to visit the interiors) only to view the green drawing room.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Impressive murals (above and below)




















Umaid Bhawan Palace's luxurious Taj Palace Hotel (started 1972). This photo only courtesy of flickr's twiga_swala.


Resplendent halls at the Taj Palace Hotel. This photo only courtesy of www.worldwideholidays.co.in.

Photo of the wide sprawl of the palace here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/UmaidBhawan_Exterior_1.jpg

Up Next: Mandore

Jodhpur as seen from the parking lot at the side of the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Chittar Hill, away from the old blue city.

Jaswant Thada - More Delightful Images from a Memorial

People from the distant past foresaw a predictable future of men who easily forget. And when you’re king, fought a hundred battles, sacrificed a lot of kins to push some causes, you don’t want to be an inconsequential, albeit easily forgettable speck in history. Jaswant Singh maybe a faceless maharaja ruler to me, but his might and influence soar high in my consciousness when I see these immaculate architectural structures. It’s an uncanny deal for remembrances.

I must have sat on a spot for an hour, just enjoying the uphill breeze, helplessly cogitating about immortality. This is one of the pleasures of solitary travels, little pieces of sadness, little snippets of introspection. They help clear my mind, and though they may not make me a better person, I feel smarter and more informed. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I could see the fortifications, the sturdy walls that enclose the old city. Boy, these people lived in a very paranoid period. I wouldn’t mind traveling back on a Time Machine, but I’ve no intentions of staying in such volatile atmosphere.

I stood from where I sat and made my way out. It was time to move on and head elsewhere. I couldn’t exactly decide how to get back to town. The sinewy walk I earlier took to climb up the hill looked daunting after seeing the hundreds of blue houses down the path. I knew I’d get lost, and I wasn’t too keen of happening since I still have an itinerary in mind: Umaid Bhawan Palace, touted as the last great palace ever built in India.

At the entrance of Jaswant Thada stood the same auto rickshaw driver who hounded me from Meherangarh Fort! Imagine him asking me 500 rupees for the 1 kilometer distance that covered from the fort to Jaswant Thada? It should be a mere 20 rupees! Such shameless commerce. And you wonder why I despised the guy? I was surprised to see him there. He knew he needed to offer a better deal this time because I would probably walk to the moon than ride in his rickshaw. He offered me 100 rupees back to my guest house, Ganpati Guest House near Sardar Market. I needed to freshen up, take a late lunch before proceeding to Umaid Bhawan Palace. I had to eventually say yes.

The ride down the east road was rather pleasant. It would have taken me forever to walk, and with the sun blazing its heat, it wouldn’t have been that pleasant either. The view down below was a pretty sight. I saw the Clock Tower from afar – and I saw, in smoggy vista, Umaid Bhawan Palace barely peeping though what could be dusty air, smog or pollution. I was excited.

Jaswant Thada





Jaswant Thada: cenotaph and crematorium


Pigeons house themselves in slabs of marble.

After a fast shower, I went to have my lunch at Shivan Paying Guest House’s restaurant. It was relaxing. The waiter kept stealing glances at me. What am I, a movie star now? LOL. After placing my order, he bashfully asked if I was Korean. I laughed. It’s your eyes, he explained. My meal was half fried chicken (110 rupees), a plate of rice served in one of those delightful silver platters that’s typically Indian (35 rupees) and a bottle of Pepsi (15 rupees). At 160 rupees ($3.20 or P138.50), it would be one of my better meals. I carefully checked out the chicken and noticed it had brownish powders sprinkled on it; and its skin orangey. Interesting. I was glad it wasn’t too spicy.

I’m already living with my spicy adventure.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Fortifications surrounding the Meherangarh Fort!


Serenity at the Jaswant Thada Lake





Marbled gazebos


Clock Tower


Umaid Bhawan Palace, The last great palace ever built in India.


Half chicken, rice and Pepsi at 160 rupees from Shivan Paying Guest House.

Please check out 1st part of Jaswant Thada: history and more information - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/10/jaswant-thada-beauty-tranquility-in.html

Up next: Umaid Bhawan Palace

jodhpur in a blue blue blue world by the desert

Jodhpur taken from the Mehrangar Fort (Photos by jpatokal of wikitravel)

Jaswant Thada

LEAVING AGRA

It had been a long day. I took a non-AC train from Agra Fort Station. A schedule that had me wake up at 4AM for my 6AM departure, only to learn that Marudhar Express no. 4853 would be delayed by 2 1/2 hours! To make things worse, it turns out that the ticket I paid for was under a waitlist (how the heck do I know that unless someone tells me? i bought my ticket from the foreigner's booth). When finally the train arrived, I was instructed to just jump on the train and wait for the ticket checkers who will settle my dilemma eventually. Now THAT took HOURS! I sat on my backpack beside the lavatories (which stink like hell). It wasn't until 6 hours that I was finally able to locate my seat - Coach 5, seat no. 10! We were supposed to arrive in Jodhpur at 5:30PM - an 11-hour travel - but due to the delays, it we'd park the trains at around 7:30PM. Guess what? We reached the station at 9PM, but unlike most India stations, the concrete platforms were immaculately clean and organized. Gone were the people just sleeping on the floor! I am liking what I see!

BY THE DESERT

Jodhpur is a major city in the state of Rajasthan, which is located in North India. It is obvious that we were treading new territories, my local India SIM shut off for 7 hours; the terrain turned into a craggy, dusty landscape that thrived only with an endemic plant - the olive tree? There were camels feeding from the scanty leaves of their trees, and my hair was starting to mat from the unseen dust. Reality is, Jodhpur sits beside the Thar Desert, a desert that already borders Pakistan in the west! This though excites me, despite the long plodding, snail-paced hours!

Some 30 minutes from my check-in, I was at the rooftop of Shivan Guesthouse. There was a partial moonshine gleaming over an uneven cityscape of pastel blues and neon saris cloaking the women around. I found myself dining with a Korean who just came from Turkey, Iran, and Delhi who called himself "Ooo" - no kidding!

By 6AM, I was wide awake. It would be interesting to climb the hills and see the Meranghar Fort that sits on a 150 meter hill. Finished in 1458, this fort was never taken in its last 500 years of existence. What's more, calling it a "fort" doesn't suffice. It is a city in itself, a feat that took me 4 hours to roam - I was breathless!

THE LAST OF THE GREAT PALACES

My favorite spot in this "city" would be the Jaswant Thada, which is 1 kilometer downhill from the Mehrangar. I attempted to walk, but finally decided against it. The sun was up and I still had places to go. I didn't wanna get beaten by heat and exhaustion so early in the day. There was still a palace to visit - the Umaid Bhawan Palace - the very last of the greatest palaces ever built in India. And yes, it is a "living" palace. The descendant - the new Maharajah - still lives in a part of the palace that isn't open to tourists.

I have never thought I'd see so much grandeur in a single place in India that I haven't even heard of until 3 months ago! I am almost overwhelmed - but not quite.

And oh yes, I have been mistaken once again as a Japanese! Just a few weeks ago, while I was travelling the city of Sonargaon in Bangladesh (the ancient and very first capital of Bangladesh), the lovely locals would stare at me - and I would hear them say "japones...japones." Today alone, I heard that from several people: the restaurant server, the guy who sold Pepsi from the Jaswant Thada store, and the rickshaw driver who doesn't have "no" in his vocabulary, "Hindi" included.

P.S.

It was weird how the Pepsi vendor detoured into a conversation that finally concluded with him saying, "I collect ballpens". I smiled and told him, "I do have a pen, but I need it." I got mine from Dhaka so I'm not gonna start giving it away to complete strangers who couldn't even give my Pepsi's change back! Tit for tat!