The City Palace is where many different buildings are together forming the heart of the city, Jaipur. We watched a puppet show for a bit and thought the puppets themselves really representative of the country, India. Chandra Mahal pictured just above is where the royal family lives and there are now tours of certain areas of this home. There are two massive silver vases are displayed at the entrance to the royal gate. These made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. The four ornate gates are facing the royal court and include the four seasons:
Peacock Gate
The northeastern peacock gate represents autumn and has a small idol of Lord Vishnu on its lintel.
Lotus Gate
The Lotus Gate in the southwest is adorned with dramatic lotus petals and flower patterns. It represents the summer and Lord Shiva
Rose Gate
The winter season is showcased by the Rose Gate. Filled with repeating rose patterns, it is dedicated to Goddess Devi.
Leheriya Gate
The fourth gate, also called the Leheriya (waves) gate, is on the northwest side of the courtyard. It is in a gorgeous green color, indicating spring and dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
I enjoyed the Maharaja Sawai Mann Singh-2 museum as it housed a collection of royal outfits, battle suits, and more. My favorite was the Mubarak Palace housing exquisitely sewn private items from the King´s attire. The embroidery work, the dyes, fabrics and adornments were stunning.
This complex also houses the armory and we appreciated the royal sword set with precious stones and the archery bows.
This is a must see and is filled with opportunities to soak up history as well as admire or shop for the local artisans´ works.
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