CITY PALACE

Maharajah Padmanabh Singh still occupies an entire section of the palace, which is closed to the public. In the first courtyard stands the Mubarak Mahal (Palace of Welcome), built under Madho Singh II (reigned 1880-1922) to welcome distinguished guests. This graceful pavilion houses a collection of royal garments, including gold-spun silk saris, pashmina (wool from Kashmir goats) and shatoosh (Himalayan antelope wool, now protected) scarves. Among the main curiosities is the imposing tunic of maharajah Madho Singh ^I (reigned 1750-1768), said to have weighed over 200 kg! The pavilion also features a collection of musical instruments played at court (sitar, dilruba, percussion).

At the far end, to the left of the first courtyard, the Maharani Mahal (Queen's palace) contains a fine collection of weapons, including swords and daggers set with precious stones, kattars (fearsome daggers held by a grip rather than a handle) and rifles. A small cannon from the Amber fortress is one of the earliest pieces of artillery in India.

Leave the first courtyard through the Lion Gate, Singh Pol, protected by two white elephant statues and red-turbaned guards sporting superb moustaches.

In the center of this new courtyard, lined with fine jali (openwork screens), stands the Diwan-i-khas, the private audience hall where the sovereign received his visitors. Don't miss the two immense silver jars. Maharajah Madho Singh II had them fashioned before travelling to London for the coronation of Edward VII in 1901. He had them filled with water from the Ganges and loaded onto his ship... He couldn't possibly have thought of performing his ritual ablutions in the impure water of the Thames!

To the left of the courtyard , a door opens onto the Pritam Niwas (courtyard of the Beloved), decorated with carved peacocks doing cartwheels. At the far end, the Chandra Mahal (Palace of the Moon) is adorned with delicate floral motifs. The upper floors are occupied by the royal family.

The other exit from the Diwan-i-Khas leads to the Diwan-i-Am, the hall of Public Audiences or darbar. The maharajah used to gather his court in this immense hall, now transformed into a rich museum. Illuminated by sumptuous Bohemian crystal chandeliers and adorned with bas-reliefs and murals, it displays superb collections of miniatures (including a famous evocation of the Holy Family, an unusual subject in the rajput context of the ^17th century), manuscripts, howdahs (elephant-riding gondolas) and imposing Persian carpets.