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A
splendid example of Indo-colonial and the art-deco style of
the thirties, Umaid Bhawan is one of the largest and
grandest private residences in the world. The palace was
built between 1929 and 1943 and over 3000 artisans worked
over 14 years to create this magnificent edifice.
If there is one palace that combines architectural
extravaganza with aesthetic triumph, it is the Umaid Bhawan
Palace. If there is something that is best experienced than
described, it is absolutely a stay at the Umaid Bhawan
Palace.
Hotel Umaid Bhawan Palace
From the time of the
origin of Jodhpur to the present day, the Rathore capital
suffered severe scarcity of water and drought followed with
unfailing regularity every third or fourth year. A tradition
developed among the Maharajas to alleviate the suffering of
people by creating work. The work usually took the form of
building canals, roads, temples, stepwells and palaces.
Rosita Forbes,
travelling in the 1930s through Jodhpur, experienced
firsthand the severe rainless times in Jodhpur, and
described the goings-on:
'The scarcity of
water in the city has been remedied by the erection of a
reservoir with eight pumping stations. Roads are spreading.
Fine buildings are springing up on the outskirts of the
lovely town…'
Maharaja Umaid Singh
conceived the Palace as the centerpiece of his massive
famine-relief scheme. The acclaimed designs of Henry
Lanchester for Cardiff City Hall and Law Courts/Central
Hall, Westminster, impressed Maharaja Umaid Singh, and
Lutyen's protégé was entrusted with the job.
It took 14 years and
3000 men to give shape to this stupendous expression. The
Palace was designed as a smooth combination of European
classical elements interlaced with oriental ones. Massive
sandstone boulders were cut from a quarry at Surasagar near
Jodhpur and transported by a special narrow-gauge train to
the construction sites. Master masons chiselled these rough
stones into blocks of five and seven tons. The blocks were
then fitted in an interlocking fashion with no mortar or
cement being used in the construction.
Furnished with
fashionable Art Deco interiors by the Polish artist and
decorator, S. Norblin, the palace consumed one million
square feet of the finest marble. The world of Umaid Bhawan
Palace contained everything that the royalty required – a
private cinema hall, a luxurious swimming pool inlaid with
tiles depicting the zodiac, gigantic royal suites, a soaring
rotunda, fancy ball rooms, a majestic durbar hall, billiards
room, ballrooms, banquet halls, libraries, staff quarters,
servant quarters….
In 1977, Umaid
Bhawan opened as one of India's grandest luxury hotels.
Indoor pool with a
sun terrace, sauna, private museum, village safaris / camel
rides.
LOCATION
: 3 kms.
from Airport, 5 kms. from Railway Station, 3 kms. from Bus
Stand.
ACCOMMODATION : Number
of Rooms: Total A/C Rooms 96, Number
of Floors: 3
FACILITIES :
Double A/C 63, Double Total 63, Suites A/C 33, Suites Total
33, Total Rooms 96, Centrally Airconditioned, 4, 250, 40, 3,
1, Indian, Continental, Chinese, Rajasthan, Business Centre,
Room Service, H/C running water, Telephone, CCTV, Mini
Refrigerator, Banquet Facilities, Conference Facilities,
Beauty Parlour, Shopping Arcade, Health Club, Swimming Pool,
Tennis, Golf, In House Theatre, Museum, Palmist Squash.
Doctor on call, Laundry, Money Changer, Safe Deposit, Baby
Sitting, Valet, Travel Desk Service
ADDRESS :
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur - 342 006 (Rajasthan). |