The historic residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Rambagh Palace, which has over the years played host to the likes of Lord Mountbatten, Prince Charles, Jacqueline Kennedy among many other luminaries is now the subject of a coffee table book that celebrates the beauty and grandeur of one of Jaipur’s most famous landmarks.
Rambagh Palace, resplendent in all its 47 acres, was converted into a hotel in 1957. The management was then entrusted to the Taj Group in 1972. The palace has since blossomed into a fine heritage hotel and the book, released here recently, lifts the curtain of time to afford one a glimpse into the dazzling reign of royalty.
‘Turning the pages of the coffee table book that chronicles the 177-year-old hotel’s storied past, it seems that the 30s were undoubtedly the glorious, golden years of Rambagh,’ reminisces Rajmata Gayatri Devi, the Maharaja’s ethereal wife, named the most beautiful woman in the world by a magazine in 1940.
As the World War loomed and many officers were called away on duty, she took over the running of the household. With her gracious hospitality, she entertained Viceroys, lords and their ladies, polo players, officers and artists.
The book establishes that Rambagh Palace is a living legend in Jaipur. Rambagh achieved the status of a palace when Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II returned to his childhood home in 1925. The pride of the palace at that time was the sprawling garden that featured in Peter Coat’s ‘Most Beautiful Gardens of the World’.
Its rooms have four-poster beds and walk-in wardrobes; the Sukh Niwas Suite comes with arched stonework, textured drapes and fabrics, crystal chandeliers, gold-leaf frescoes, and large windows that open onto the gardens and views of the Aravalli hills.
‘Home to history, heritage and heroic folkfore, Rambagh Palace is a timeless testimony to an extravagance that was once the sole preserve of kings. If the walls of palace could talk, they would whisper tales of sapphires and diamonds, of martini-soaked lunches and grand leaves, of places built and gifted on a whim,’ writes Maharaj Jai Singh in the foreword.
The book titled Rambagh Palace, Jaipur has been authored by Dharmendar Kanwar and illustrated by Bharath Ramamrutham, tells the story of a unique institution.
The most expensive rooms in the palace hotel are the Maharaja Suite, the Maharani Suite and the Mountbatten Suite and are always in demand by the foreign tourists. The hotel has also retained the original dining room, Suvarna Mahal, built in the 18th century French style and has huge crystal chandeliers.
Built in 1835 as a small lodge for the Queen’s favourite handmaiden, the building was later re-designed in the Rajput architectural tradition by English architect, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob to include additional spaces, courtyards and gorgeous gardens. This was later named Rambagh Palace and was transformed into a hunting lodge and the Maharajah’s palace.
Raymond Bickson, MD and CEO, Indian Hotels Company Ltd said, ‘A palace becomes a legend because of its residents, people who provide the emotional connect. This comes to life through the painstaking efforts of the author who illustrates all the reasons why our guests keep coming back again and again.’
Rambagh Palace, resplendent in all its 47 acres, was converted into a hotel in 1957. The management was then entrusted to the Taj Group in 1972. The palace has since blossomed into a fine heritage hotel and the book, released here recently, lifts the curtain of time to afford one a glimpse into the dazzling reign of royalty.
‘Turning the pages of the coffee table book that chronicles the 177-year-old hotel’s storied past, it seems that the 30s were undoubtedly the glorious, golden years of Rambagh,’ reminisces Rajmata Gayatri Devi, the Maharaja’s ethereal wife, named the most beautiful woman in the world by a magazine in 1940.
As the World War loomed and many officers were called away on duty, she took over the running of the household. With her gracious hospitality, she entertained Viceroys, lords and their ladies, polo players, officers and artists.
The book establishes that Rambagh Palace is a living legend in Jaipur. Rambagh achieved the status of a palace when Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II returned to his childhood home in 1925. The pride of the palace at that time was the sprawling garden that featured in Peter Coat’s ‘Most Beautiful Gardens of the World’.
Its rooms have four-poster beds and walk-in wardrobes; the Sukh Niwas Suite comes with arched stonework, textured drapes and fabrics, crystal chandeliers, gold-leaf frescoes, and large windows that open onto the gardens and views of the Aravalli hills.
‘Home to history, heritage and heroic folkfore, Rambagh Palace is a timeless testimony to an extravagance that was once the sole preserve of kings. If the walls of palace could talk, they would whisper tales of sapphires and diamonds, of martini-soaked lunches and grand leaves, of places built and gifted on a whim,’ writes Maharaj Jai Singh in the foreword.
The book titled Rambagh Palace, Jaipur has been authored by Dharmendar Kanwar and illustrated by Bharath Ramamrutham, tells the story of a unique institution.
The most expensive rooms in the palace hotel are the Maharaja Suite, the Maharani Suite and the Mountbatten Suite and are always in demand by the foreign tourists. The hotel has also retained the original dining room, Suvarna Mahal, built in the 18th century French style and has huge crystal chandeliers.
Built in 1835 as a small lodge for the Queen’s favourite handmaiden, the building was later re-designed in the Rajput architectural tradition by English architect, Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob to include additional spaces, courtyards and gorgeous gardens. This was later named Rambagh Palace and was transformed into a hunting lodge and the Maharajah’s palace.
Raymond Bickson, MD and CEO, Indian Hotels Company Ltd said, ‘A palace becomes a legend because of its residents, people who provide the emotional connect. This comes to life through the painstaking efforts of the author who illustrates all the reasons why our guests keep coming back again and again.’