Cover Photo by Tharun Thejus
Viewed from a distance, the city of Jodhpur appears like an undulating wave of blue, the hue that colours the outside of all homes in the city. Rightly called the Blue City, Jodhpur is a popular destination among foreign as well as domestic tourists. With an unending list of amazing places to visit, Jodhpur was founded in 1459 and to date has maintained its buzzing tangle of ancient alleyways in the old city, which is connected to Jodhpur’s modern centre by a broad open street.
Jodhpur has many places to pique a traveller’s interest, like the Mehrangarh Fort or Jaswant Thada, but it has to be Jodhpur ka Umaid Bhawan Palace that deserves a special mention.
Designed as the epitome of the royal heritage of Rajasthan with majestic turrets and domes, the palace sits atop the Chittar Hill and offers magnificent views of the city and of soft sand dunes that stretch out far till they seem to merge into the horizon. The Umaid Bhawan Palace of Jodhpur has numerous stories of valour and glory to tell all who visit this splendid structure.
More about the Umaid Bhawan Palace of Jodhpur
The palace was named after Maharaja Umaid Singh whose grandson, Gaj Singh, is the present owner. While many of the grand palaces in India that were built pre-independence have become abandoned and empty monuments or have crumbled away into obscurity, Gaj Singh decided to convert part of his home into a hotel and the other part into a museum to ensure that Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan neither loses its sheen nor its significance. In 1971, Taj Hotels took over the management of a part of the palace and converted it into a luxury hotel. Today, The Umaid Bhawan Palace of Jodhpur also houses a museum that offers visitors a glimpse into the glorious Rajputana history, while a part of the palace is still used by the royal family as their primary residence.
The History of the Umaid Bhawan, Jodhpur
The foundation stone of this magnificent palace was laid by Maharaja Umaid Singh in 1929 and work was finished by 1943. It was in fact the last royal palace ever to be built as just after 4 years of the palace being built, India became a free sovereign state, and free India did not have any royal families or palaces. Only the lavish homes that various kings had built remained a testament to the past. With 347 rooms, the Umaid Bhawan Palace of Jodhpur is one of the largest private residences in the world.
The Curse of Jodhpur
According to famous folklore, the building of Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan is linked to a saint’s curse who said that the good rule of the Rathore Dynasty would be followed by a period of drought. Call it a curse or sheer coincidence, but after the almost 50-year reign of Pratap Singh ended, Jodhpur faced a severe drought and famine during the 1920s that lasted for three consecutive years.
The Suffering of the People
The population of the city primarily consisted of farmers for whom the drought posed unimaginable hardships. As month after month brought no respite from the suffering, the people sought out the guidance of the then-ruler, Maharaja Umaid Singh, who was Marwar’s 37th Rathore ruler.
The Building of the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur
The Maharaja, seeing the plight of his people, decided that providing them with gainful employment could help them get over these harsh times. That was when the Maharaja decided to build a lavish home for himself, and commissioned Henry Vaughan Lanchester as the architect of the place. The building of Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace provided employment for more than 3,000 locals for about 14 years. However, after the palace was completed, the Maharaja could only enjoy its luxury for about 4 years as he passed away in 1947.
The Architecture of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
The architect employed by the king, Henry Vaughan Lanchester was a contemporary of Edwin Lutyens, the architect who had planned New Delhi’s government complex buildings. Adopting the theme of columns and domes for the Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, he patterned its design on similar lines as Lutyens’s buildings in New Delhi. It is not difficult to see several similarities in the designs of the structures.
Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the finest examples that perfectly showcase the Indo-deco architectural style that incorporates Rajput, Hindu, Buddhist, and European style elements. The place has been built using “dun-coloured” (golden–yellow) sandstone while the interiors have been designed with Makrana marble and Burmese teak wood.
Inside Jodhpur’s Palace, Umaid Bhawan
Exhibiting a blend of Indian architectural design language and western technology of the time, a distinctive feature of Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace is its beautifully decorated long passages that are a study in opulence.
Another easy to notice feature, one that displays a certain European style, is the dome in the main building that rises up to a height of 103 feet of the inside, capped by a 43-feet high outer dome. As you walk through the Umaid Bhawan, you will be able to notice that some of the floorings is polished black granite, while the floor of the lounge has been made with pink sandstone and marble.
About 70 of the rooms of the Umaid Bhawan Palace of Jodhpur have been converted into luxury accommodation options and are a part of the hotel section of the palace.
Peacocks can also be frequently sighted strolling across the landscaped greens, and if that isn’t enough, a detour towards the zodiac pool will surely leave you in awe. Gleaming in the same shade of blue as the rest of the city, the zodiac pool will transport you to another time.
The Palace Complex
Spread across 26 acres with 15 acres dedicated to the gardens, the palace complex has everything one would need to live like a king. It includes a private meeting hall, throne chamber, Durbar Hall for meeting the public, private dining halls, vaulted banquet hall, library, spa, indoor swimming pool, billiards room, tennis courts, and marble squash courts.
The Hotel
Knows as the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur, the hotel wing is managed by the Taj Group of Hotels and promises a super luxurious experience for all guests.
The Museum
The museum has a number of amazing exhibits for visitors to gaze at, including lighthouse shapes, a very large symbolic flag that was given by Queen Victoria in 1877 to Maharaja Jaswant Singh, stuffed leopards, and more. The royal family also has a collection of vintage cars that are displayed in the museum’s front garden.
Timings and Price for Visiting Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan
The hotel is open to all guests who have booked a stay there and the royal family’s living quarters are of course off-limits for visitors. However, the museum at the Umaid Bhawan Palace is open for all visitors, along with some public areas of the palace. The price of tickets for the Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur Museum and other important information for visitors have been mentioned below:
Ticket Price for Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur
Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur Entry Fee for Indians:
Children: ₹ 10 per person
Adults: ₹ 30 per person
Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur Entry Fee for Foreign Tourists:
For All: ₹ 100 per person
Museum Timings of Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur
Open every day (Monday to Sunday) from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Room Price at Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur for Booking a Stay
The price of a room at the Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur varies significantly with the choice of accommodation, time of the year for which you are making a booking, etc. It is best to check the room rates in real-time depending on when you plan to travel. You can also look for a Jodhpur tour package that includes a stay at the Umaid Bhawan or one that includes a guided tour of the palace.
As Jodhpur is located quite close to the desert, it would be a good idea to plan your trip to the city during the winters, when the weather is more suitable for sightseeing.
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