Historical landmark in Jaipur
Chandra Mahal
Listen to this story 1 min
The story of Chandra Mahal
You’re standing in Chandra Mahal, inside the City Palace, Jaipur, and the most striking thing about it is that it is described as a seven-story citadel within that royal complex. Britannica’s sister-style travel pages place it as a royal residence associated with Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, and as a building that takes up about one-seventh of the City Palace.
The dates given for its construction are 1729 AD to 1732 AD, with the work described as having stretched over five years. It was meant to serve as a royal residence, and the palace remained tied to Jaipur’s ruling family; one page says the family spent most of their time here.
The City Palace around it was built after Jaipur was established in 1727, and the larger complex was completed in 1732. That context matters because Chandra Mahal is part of a palace system that also functioned as a ceremonial and administrative seat.
Today, access is limited: one page says the royal quarters can be reached only through premium tour tickets. The published opening hours for Chandra Mahal are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with Sunday Closed.
If you’re looking for something to notice right now, focus on the scale of the seven storeys and the fact that it sits within the larger palace rather than standing alone.
In brief
The City Palace, Jaipur is a royal residence and former administrative headquarters of the rulers of the Jaipur State in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Construction started soon after the establishment of the city of Jaipur under the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who moved his court to Jaipur from Amber, in 1727. Jaipur remained the capital of the kingdom until 1949—when it became the capital of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan—with the City Palace functioning as the ceremonial and administrative seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur. The construction of the Palace was completed in 1732, and it was also the location of religious and cultural events, as well as a patron of arts, commerce, and industry. It was constructed according to the rules of vastushastra, combining elements of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles. It now houses the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, and continues to be the home of the Jaipur royal family. The royal family has around 500 personal servants. The palace complex has several buildings, various courtyards, galleries, restaurants, and offices of the Museum Trust. The MSMS II Museum Trust is headed by chairperson Rajamata Padmini Devi of Jaipur (from Sirmour in Himachal Pradesh). Princess Diya Kumari runs the Museum Trust, as its secretary and trustee. She also manages The Palace School and Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School in Jaipur. She founded and runs the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation to empower underprivileged and underemployed women of Rajasthan, and is also an entrepreneur. In 2013, she was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan from the constituency of Sawai Madhopur.
Before you go
- Open today
- Closed
- Time to allow
- 1.5-2.5 hr
- Best months
- September to March
- Address
- WRGF+RC2, Agra Rd, Gangori Bazaar, J.D.A. Market, Brahampuri, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302002, India