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Located above the Blue City of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan Palace is more than just a luxury hotel. Nearly a century after its construction, it remains the private residence of the royal family.
News18
Few palaces in India can claim to be a world-famous luxury hotel and active royal residence. But this is exactly what makes the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur so special. Rising in the Blue City on Chittar Hill, this golden sandstone palace not only remains the residence of the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur but also welcomes guests from all over the world.
The construction of the palace was started by Maharaja Umed Singh in 1928 for a very unique purpose. The Marwar region had been suffering from drought and famine for a long time, and the Maharaja started a massive construction project to provide employment to thousands of local people. Construction continued for approximately 14 years before the palace was completed in 1943.
Designed by British architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester, Umaid Bhawan blended Indo-Saracenic, classical and Art Deco influences into a structure unparalleled in India. Built from the distinctive golden-yellow Chittar sandstone, it has become one of the largest private residences in the world. The palace contains 347 rooms, grand halls, wide staircases, elegant courtyards, and spacious gardens extending over an area of 26 acres.
What distinguishes Umaid Bhawan from many other princely residences is that it never became a mere monument to the past. Today the palace is divided into three sections. One wing is still the private residence of the Jodhpur royal family, headed by Maharaja Gaj Singh II, grandson of Umaid Singh. Another section serves as the famous Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel, while the third section houses a museum displaying the history of Jodhpur’s royal family, antique clocks, photographs, and classic cars.
Visitors often arrive expecting a large heritage hotel, but leave impressed by the fact that royalty still lives behind parts of the palace walls. This arrangement allowed the palace to remain a living institution rather than a static museum. Family rituals, traditions of the royal lineage and the history of the Rathore family go hand in hand with the hotel operations that have made the place world famous.
The hotel has hosted many royalty, stars and major weddings, especially those of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. However, despite its global acclaim, Umaid Bhawan Palace is primarily a private home.
At a time when many other palaces of nobles have been relegated to the pages of history, Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the rare exceptions, where the saga of Indian kings lives on through the palace itself.
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