Umaid Bhawan Palace

About Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

Sandstone royal residence and museum in Jodhpur

• Umaid Bhawan Palace occupies Chittar Hill on the south-eastern edge of Jodhpur.
• Maharaja Umaid Singh commissioned British architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester to build it in 1929, largely to employ local farmers during a prolonged famine, finishing the 347-room sandstone structure in 1943.
• The royal family still lives in one wing, a second operates as a heritage hotel, and a third houses a public museum.
• The museum displays Art Deco furniture, leopard skins, cut-glass tableware, arms, and a collection of functioning nineteenth-century clocks.
• Outside in the driveway, visitors can view vintage cars owned by the maharajas, including a 1906 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
• October to March is the practical period to visit due to cooler daytime conditions.
• The museum opens every day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Entry tickets cost ₹30 for Indian citizens and ₹100 for foreign travelers.