Jai Singh II laid out Jaipur in 1727 on a grid, to a treatise, and put the palace at its centre — not as a fort on a hill but as the heart of a planned city, which is what makes Jaipur different from every other RajputRajputA member of the warrior and landholding clans of northern India, chiefly Rajasthan, who ruled its princely states.Read in the glossary capital. The family has never left. Chandra Mahal's upper floors are a private residence, and the flag above them flies when the MaharajaMaharajaA ruling Indian prince — literally 'great king'; a maharani is his queen, or a princess ruling in her own right.Read in the glossary is in.
Pritam Niwas Chowk is the courtyard everyone photographs and few read properly: four doorways, one for each season, each dedicated to a god — the peacock gate for autumn and Vishnu, the lotus for summer and Shiva, the green gate for spring and Ganesha, the rose for winter and Devi. In the Diwan-i-Khas stand two silver urns made to carry Ganges water to England for Madho Singh II's coronation voyage in 1902, and still the largest silver vessels ever made.
Visiting Well
- Open daily; mornings are best, and the courtyards fill sharply from mid-morning.
- The Chandra Mahal private apartments can be visited on a separate, limited ticket — arranged ahead rather than at the gate.
- The palace sits inside the walled city, so it pairs naturally with Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal on foot rather than by car.
How Elevated India Arranges It
We go early with a guide who can read the four doorways properly, arrange the Chandra Mahal apartments ahead where they are available, and walk on into the old city rather than driving — the palace makes far more sense once you have seen the grid it was built to anchor.
Questions, Answered
Does the royal family still live in the City Palace?
Yes — the upper floors of Chandra Mahal remain the family's private residence, and a flag flies above when the Maharaja is in Jaipur. The rest of the complex is open as a museum.
What are the four doorways at the City Palace?
The seasonal gates of Pritam Niwas Chowk: the peacock gate for autumn, the lotus for summer, the green gate for spring and the rose gate for winter, each dedicated to a deity. They are the most photographed part of the palace and reward a guide who can explain them.
Journeys That Take You There
Grand Rajasthan: Royal Palaces & Desert Estates
19 Days / 18 Nights
Golden Triangle with Kathmandu
12 Days / 11 Nights
Explore the destination guide: Jaipur, Rajasthan ↗