City Palace, Jaipur

City Palace in Jaipur is an 18th-century royal palace complex in the historic center of Jaipur, Rajasthan, built during the foundation of the planned city by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The complex combines Mughal and Rajput architectural elements and contains several courtyards, halls and museums.

The ornate Chandra Mahal, still occupied by the former royal family, and the Mubarak Mahal which houses displays of royal textiles, costumes and arms. The palace also contains the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas - the public and private audience halls - along with decorated gates, ornamental courtyards and galleries that are commonly visited.

Construction of the palace began with the founding of Jaipur in the early 18th century and continued under successive rulers as the city and court developed. Over time the complex has been adapted to serve partly as museums while retaining portions in private use by the erstwhile royal household.

The City Palace sits within Jaipur’s walled city close to other central monuments such as Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal, in the state capital region of Rajasthan. It is easily reached from the old city streets and major visitor routes through Jaipur.

• Active royal residence: Parts of the complex remain a private royal residence, so access to some rooms is restricted and only certain floors of the Chandra Mahal are open to visitors.

What to See #

• Chandra Mahal: A multi-storey royal residence at the heart of the palace complex that remains occupied by the Jaipur royal family; several floors are exhibited as historic apartments and state rooms.
• Mubarak Mahal: A palace wing converted into a museum displaying textiles, arms, costumes and court objects from the Jaipur state collection.
• Diwan-i-Khas: The private audience hall historically used for restricted royal audiences, noted for decorative detail and access by special permission or as part of guided tours.
• Diwan-i-Am: The public audience hall where official business and public ceremonies were held; positioned within the palace's sequence of courts and open spaces.