The City Palace in Jaipur is spread out over a series of courtyards. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as part of his ambitious city project, and his successors continued to ornament and add to the elegant buildings up until the 20th century. The palace has always been much more than the grand residence of a royal family. It was also, from the start, a centre of patronage of the arts and of learning, and with its many temples, it is also a place of ritual and worship. On important festival days such as Gangaur and Teej, the procession of the image of the Goddess through the streets unites the City Palace and the people of the city in shared celebrations. Today, the palace has thrown open its exclusive spaces to the public through the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, welcoming domestic and international visitors from far and wide.

The City Palace in Jaipur is spread out over a series of courtyards. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as part of his ambitious city project, and his successors continued to ornament and add to the elegant buildings up until the 20th century. The palace has always been much more than the grand residence of a royal family. It was also, from the start, a centre of patronage of the arts and of learning, and with its many temples, it is also a place of ritual and worship. On important festival days such as Gangaur and Teej, the procession of the image of the Goddess through the streets unites the City Palace and the people of the city in shared celebrations. Today, the palace has thrown open its exclusive spaces to the public through the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, welcoming domestic and international visitors from far and wide.

Situated to the south-west of the old walled city, the spacious property now known as Rajmahal was originally a garden palace, built in the 18th century, possibly for one of the royal women. The garden wall, the grand northern entrance gate and the four corner pavilions still survive but the original palace has long since been replaced with newer buildings. In the early 19th century the property was loaned to the British to serve as the Residency, where the representative of the colonial power had both his home and his office. Rebuilt and expanded over time, the palace continued in this use right up until Indian Independence in 1947, when it was once again taken in hand by the Jaipur royal family. After the conversion of the Rambagh (another garden palace) into a hotel in 1953, Rajmahal became one of the family’s principal residences. Today it is run as an exclusive hotel by the Sujan group.

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The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (r. 1699-1743), leader of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs. In the first part of his reign, like his ancestors before him, Sawai Jai Singh ruled from the old state capital at Amber, five miles to the north. Filled with beautiful temples and palaces and protected by steep hills and fortified walls, Amber is typical of many ancient Rajput strongholds. But as Mughal authority waned, Sawai Jai Singh sought a new site where there would be more room for expansion. He established Jaipur not just as a new capital but as a new kind of royal city: one that was open to trade and to diverse settlers. It is also famous as a rare example of a planned city with the major streets forming a grid.

The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (r. 1699-1743), leader of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs. In the first part of his reign, like his ancestors before him, Sawai Jai Singh ruled from the old state capital at Amber, five miles to the north. Filled with beautiful temples and palaces and protected by steep hills and fortified walls, Amber is typical of many ancient Rajput strongholds. But as Mughal authority waned, Sawai Jai Singh sought a new site where there would be more room for expansion. He established Jaipur not just as a new capital but as a new kind of royal city: one that was open to trade and to diverse settlers. It is also famous as a rare example of a planned city with the major streets forming a grid.