Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur, India is one of
India's most imposing and recent palaces. Umaid Bhavan palace of
Jodhpur, Rajasthan was built by Maharaja Umaid Singh. It is named after
him only. He utilized the services of a well-known Edwardian architect,
Henry Vaughan Lanchester for the construction of this palace. It
contains three hundred and forty seven rooms.
Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan Palace was actually built for the welfare of the
people. The purpose was to give employment to the people of Jodhpur
during a long period of drought and famine. The construction of the
palace utilized approximately one million square feet (90,000 m²).
Another special feature of the palace is the use of a special type of
sandstone, called Chittar sandstone, giving it a special appearance.
Umaid Bhavan palace of Jodhpur is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic
architecture. Over three thousand artisans were employed in the
construction of this palace.
The Umaid Bhavan palace was converted into a heritage hotel in 1977.
The Palace is now segmented into the Royal residence, the Heritage Hotel
and the Museum. In a part of the palace the royal family of Jodhpur
still lives. In another part of the palace is a well-maintained museum.
India's Umaid Bhavan palace has an amazing Central Rotunda, the cupola
rising to a hundred and five feet high. There is also the Throne Room
with its exquisite Ramayana murals, a library, a private museum, an
indoor swimming pool, a Billiards Room, tennis courts and unique marble
squash courts.
The Umaid Bhavan Palace at Jodhpur is one of the
famous palaces of Rajasthan.