Garh Palace / Bundi Palace, Bundi - Timings, History, Architecture, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 5 km from Bundi Railway Station, Garh Palace is a historic palace located in the city of Bundi, Rajasthan. It is one of the largest palaces in India, and among the most visited tourist places in Bundi.

The Garh Palace is a collection of several palaces that were built by different rulers over the span of three centuries. Most of the palaces were built between 17th and 18th century CE. Maharao Balwant Singh started the construction of Garh Palace in Bundi in late 16th century which is a hilltop palace and it took around 200 years for the Palace to be completed.

Garh Palace is considered to be one of the finest examples of Rajputana style of architecture. The palace complex is known for its intricate carvings, stunning murals, and beautiful gardens. Some of the famous palaces here include Ratan Daulat, Hall of Public Audience (Diwan-i-Am), Chhatra Mahal, Phool Mahal, Badal Mahal, Chitrashala or Ummed Mahal. Of these, the Chitrashala is the most famous one which has a fascinating pavilion and gallery of miniature murals.

The Hathi Pol or the Elephant Gate is the main gateway to the Garh Palace. The gate is made up of marble stones, has two balconies inside and two statues of elephants facing each other, in welcoming position. Through the Hathi Pol, one can reach the primary courtyard of the palace which ushers you to the stairs to Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audience which houses a white marble coronation throne. The massive gallery on the first floor leads to the Chhatra Mahal.The main attraction of Chhatra Mahal is the miniature murals in bright colours inside an arch. The side of the ceilings is also painted in beautiful frescoes with blue paint. Besides this, each pillar in this place has four wooden elephants on the top, and doors are made with glass and ivory work.

The Chhatra Mahal leads to a smaller courtyard, the Phool Mahal. From the pillars to the walls, the interior is embellished with ancient paintings. The pillars of the arcade column have small mirrors with detailed carved frames and paintings drawn within a limited canvas on each side of the pillars. The walls have alcoves and mirrors with intricate frames.

The Palace's crowning glory is the Badal Mahal, also known as the Palace of Clouds. The walls of the palace are covered in exquisite paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology.The royal residence was built in two diverse time periods. In the first stage, the verandah and ground floor was built by Maharawal Gopinath, and the rest of the construction was done in 1609 - 1657 AD by Marahawal Punjraj.

Chitrasala, on the eastern side of the Garh Palace, is a well maintained part of the Bundi Palace. Chitrasala is an 18th-century palace built by Raja Umed Singh, a very famous king of Bundi. The idea behind Chitrasala was to draw paintings on the history of Bundi and its kings from 13th to 18th century and also the life which the kings and & queens lived. Scenes from Ramayana and Krishna Leela adorned the walls and ceiling with real gold and silver elements used in them.

Timings: 8 AM - 5 PM

Entry: Rs. 100 for Indians, Rs. 50 for Camera, & Rs. 100 for Video