Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace

Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the finest palaces not just in India but also around the world. It has a bird's eye view of the desert city of Jodhpur. Umaid Bhawan Palace is also one of the largest residences in the world with 347 opulent rooms.

Umaid Bhawan was designed by the renowned Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester.  Due to the grand scale of the golden-yellow sandstone monument, made in art deco style fashionable at that time, Umaid Bhawan Palace took fifteen years to complete. A vacation at this palace offers guests a taste of royal living that was once enjoyed by kings and princes. The palace served as the principal residence of Jodhpur’s Royal family, and was named after Maharaja Umaid Singh Ji.  His grandson, the present Maharaja of Jodhpur, Maharaja Gaj Singh Ji is now the owner of this monument.

Umaid Bhawan Palace is divided into three sections; while one is a heritage hotel and another a museum, the third section is still occupied by the erstwhile royal family. Built on Chittar Hill in southeastern area of the Jodhpur, it was earlier called Chittar Palace. Its construction employed more than 5000 men for sixteen years. Its construction has several unique aspects to it. The building has not used mortar or cement to bind stones together. All its pieces are carved stones that have been joined together by a system of interlocking positive and negative pieces. Umaid Bhawan was designed to ensure that its temperature always remains at approximately 23 degrees Celsius. A train line was specially constructed to transport these large blocks of stone to the site.

The central dome of the building is 110 feet high. The private museum attached to the Palace has a small yet exquisite display of arms, furniture, antique clocks and priceless China vases that once formed a part the private collection of Maharajas of Jodhpur.