Chandra Mahal or The Moon Palace Jaipur

The spectacular seven-storied palace towards the north-west corner was built by Sawai Jai Singh. Set in the beautiful quadrangular garden Jai Niwas Bagh the palace apartments are sumptuously adorned with paintings, floral decorations, mirrored walls and are known for the arish work, an art, whereby the wall is prepared with lime plaster and decorated with inlay and painted motifs in floral designs. The two most beautiful apartments in the complex are Chandra Mandir and Shobha Niwas.

The erstwhile ruling family still reside in the magnificent Chandra Mahal which retains the grandeur of the bygone era and some parts of the palace have been opened for public viewing. The Chandra Mahal can be viewed best from the Pritam Niwas Chowk or the ‘square of the beloved’, to the west of the Diwan-I-Khas. The four gateways in the Pritam Niwas Chowk symbolize the four seasons of the year. These gateways are decorated with peacocks and regular patterns in red, green, blue and gold.

The Chandra Mandir houses an exclusive museum with splendid collection of rare manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit, which once formed a part of the rich collection of the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh. There are also grand outfits of the royalty, one of the outfit has 18 kg. of gold threads woven into it. Antique carpets and miniature paintings depicting themes of Radha Krishna and Rangmala and scenes of battles, processions and marriages etc. are displayed here. The Shobha Niwas is adorned with hundreds of colored mirrors that produce a stunning effect when the light falls on them. The Mukut Mandir or temple, on the top of the palace, is the crowing glory of the Chandra Mahal. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna, and affords an exclusive view of the city.