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City Palace Udaipur
As the hub of Udaipur the City Palace stands majestically on the hill guarded
by crenellated fort walls. A riot of arches, domes, turrets, crenellations
and chattris crown the steep fortress.
In contrast to its rugged exterior, the inside presents a delicate and feminine
world of beauty with lavish use of marble, mirror work, frescoes, wall paintings,
a profusion of colored glass, fluted columns, inlay work, silver doors,
fountains and gardens.
A series of courtyards, jharokhas, chattris, terraces, corridors, stairways,
over planning pavilions and hanging gardens form an astonishing and harmonious
whole.
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.
The Memories of the Past
Lately, a part of the City Palace and its zenana have been converted into
a museum and opened up to the public. It presents a varied display of arms
and armor, paintings and photographs, royal insignia, processional trappings
and other objects, which reflect the heritage, and tradition of the Mewar
and Sisodia Maharanas.
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