11/06/2020
Umaid Bhawan Palace, located in the city of Jodhpur in the province of Rajasthan, India is one of the world's largest private residences. Named after the 37th Maharaja of Jodhpur princely state, Umaid Singh who was also the grandfather of the present owner and the ex Maharaja of Jodhpur, Gaj Singh. The palace now houses the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel, one of the most famous and luxurious hotels of South Asia and is also the principal residence of the former Jodhpur royal family. A part of the palace also consists of a museum.
The history of building the Umaid Bhawan Palace is linked to a curse by a saint who had said that a period of drought would follow the good rule of the Jodhpur state. Thus, after the end of long peaceful time during the British colonial period, Jodhpur faced severe drought and famine in the 1920s for a period of three consecutive years. The farmers of the area, faced with this hardship, sought the help of the then Maharaja, Umaid Singh, to provide them with some employment so that they could survive the harsh conditions. The Maharaja, in order to help the farmers, decided to build a lavish palace.
The estimated cost of building the palace was INR 11 million. When completed the palace had 347 rooms, several courtyards, and a large banquet hall which could accommodate 300 people. The architectural style is considered as representing the then in vogue Beaux-arts style, also known as Indo-Deco style.
The palace complex is set in an area of 26 acres of land including 15 acres of gardens. Elaborately describing, the building consists of a throne chamber, a private meeting hall, a Durbar Hall to meet the public, a vaulted banquet hall, private dining halls, a ballroom, a library, an indoor swimming pool and spa, a billiards room, four tennis courts, two marble squash courts, and long passages.
