City Palace towers over the Pichola Lake. Maharana Uday Singh initiated in the construction of the palace but succeeding Maharanas added several palaces and structures to the complex retained a surprising uniformity to the design. The entry to the Palace is from the Hati Pol, the Elephant gate. The Bari Pol or the Big gate brings you to the Tripolia, the Triple gate. It was once a custom that the Maharana would weigh under this gate in gold and silver, which was distributed to the populace. It is also now the main ticket office. Balconies, cupolas and towers surmount the palace to give a wonderful view of the lake.
Suraj Gokhada or the balcony of the sun is where the Maharana would grant public audiences mainly to boost the morale of the people in difficult times. The Mor Chawk is the peacock square and gains its name from the vivid blue mosaic in glass of a peacock that decorates its walls. The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum displaying a large and diverse array of artefacts. Down steps from the entrance is the armoury museum exhibiting a huge collection of protective gear, weapons including the lethal two-pronged sword.
The path then leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping pavilions, terraces, corridors and hanging gardens- a harmonious profusion hard to describe.The soft cream coloured central 'Chhatri' has facing of blue coloured tiles with massive octagonal towers crowned with cupolas. The Sheesh Mahal has inlaid mirror work. The Krishna Vilas has a series of miniature paintings, which are witness to the royal processions, festivals and the game of 'Chogan'.
The Chini Chitrashala is famous for its Chinese and Dutch tiles, the latter of which has depiction of Biblical scenes including the flight to Egypt. Radha-Krishna stories are painted on the walls of the Bhim Vilas. The glass mosaic gallery with its superb stained glasses and portraits afford a panoramic view of the city below. The Mor Chowk has a brilliant mosaic of peacocks set in the walls showing the three seasons: summer, winter and monsoon. There are exquisite terrace gardens with fountains in the Amar Vilas. There is also a museum in the fort which houses the armour of the valiant Maharana Pratap and the drums & bugles of Rana Sanga, another
Mewar ruler.
Architecture of City Palace
The City Palace consists of four main and several minor palaces. Part of the complex is a Hawa Mahal. The Palace of Joy, Dilkhusha Mahal, is decorated with frescoes and wall paintings. Moti Mahal, or Palace of Pearls, Sheesh Mahal, or the palace of mirrors and glass and Krishna Mahal are lavishly decorated with colors and paintings. Mor Chowk is known for its unique peacock motif in mosaic. Bada Mahal,
the garden palace, is built on a 90 feet high natural rock
formation. The Chini chitrashala houses a rich collection of Chinese
porcelain and Laxmi Vilas Chowk is an art gallery, which houses a
distinctive collection of Mewar paintings. The Amar Vilas, the
highest point with its hanging gardens, towers and terraces,
presents a majestic and panoramic view of the town and Lake Pichola.
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