Umaid Bhavan Palace

We began our day after a wonderful breakfast at the Haveli and soon checked out for the exploration of the "Blue city". Our initial destination was Umaid Bhawan palace. This youngest palace of India was commissioned by Maharaja Umaid Singh to provide employment during the 1920s famine. The entire construction of this majestic residence took about 15 long years. Currently this palace has a public museum, private royal residence area and luxury hotel managed by Taj. Actually restricted entry of the public museum was available. Even though this marvel covers 26 acres of land we spend hardly one hour exploring the permissible zones. But that limited tour itself was enough to extrapolate the greatness of the whole palace.

Umaid Bhavan Palace

The palace is located in the Chittar hills. From the main gate, we had to walk some considerable distance to reach the palace. But the walk amidst trees, and cold morning wind was enjoyable, despite the fact that I was running a slight fever. I was already on Dolo and antibiotics, and I tried to keep out the morning chill with the help of my blue sweater. The palace exterior made of Chittar golden yellow sandstone was glowing regally under the morning sunshine. Landscaped gardens and fountains gave the palace a backdrop of European style.

Another view of the palace

The palace is a prime example of Indo-Deco architecture, which combines Indian architectural details with modern geometric symmetric designs and luxurious materials. The brilliant design of HV Lanchester, a British architect, blended Indian traditional designs with western designs masterfully. Elegant chandeliers, polished floors and luxurious wood paneling were all advertising the royal touch behind everything. The use of Makrana white marble in the interior elevated the elegance of the building. At the main door, a detailed description of the palace was there. In the initial part of the museum, there was a mini 3D model of the palace, which was curious to watch. There were photographs and plans of palace construction, portraits of Maharaja, details about the famine relief also.

Interior of the palace

Inside glass cubicles, there were displays of stuffed leopards and bear, which showed off one of the favorite hobbies of the Royal family- hunting. The dining sets, crockery, writing sets, accessories etc used by the Royal family in the were also exhibited in a sophisticated manner. The furniture and decorative porcelain were well preserved and was proof of the exquisite royal taste. There was a magnificent display of a large ceremonial flag presented by Queen Victoria to Maharaja Jaswant Singh in 1877, which was a symbol of the relationship between the Crown and the princely state of Jodhpur.

The sophisticated Royal collections

Display of the Ceremonial Flag

There was a separate room for antique Art Deco clock collection. Clocks of various curious shapes were exhibited, such as vintage cars, ships etc. After finishing the museum tour we reached a courtyard, where we clicked some nice photos. Soon we came outside and found a museum for the favorite vintage cars of the King. I am not very knowledgeable regarding cars but these automobiles were well maintained and gave off an elegant vibe.

We waited in the palace premises for the arrival of our driverji. It took him almost half an hour to come back to pick us. And we departed for our next spot.