Wanderlust Wednesday: Suján Rajmahal Palace

August 15, 2018

Wanderlust Wednesday: Suján Rajmahal Palace

India, Interior Design, Interior Designer, Travel

By HollyPhillips

ADIL AHMAD, India, INTERIOR DESIGNER ADIL AHMAD, Jaipur, Rajmahal Palace, Sujan, Travel

Back in the office for 3 days and I am dreaming of an exotic getaway.

India has long been on my list and i think 2019 may be my year.

One of my certain stops is going to be this palace of perfection in Jaipur.

Enjoy a look at Suján Ramjahal Palace.

The Royal Standard of the House of Amber still flutters above Rajmahal Palace, one of the oldest and most treasured palaces in the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. Only the City Palace and the royal family’s private forts hold this distinction. Home to the Maharaja of Jaipur, this exquisite royal palace is located at the heart of Rajasthan’s bustling capital. An enclosed oasis, secluded in verdant gardens, Rajmahal Palace is the repository of a celebrated history. Tall bay windows, mirrored doors and meticulously appointed interiors allow guests to be transported to a new era of 21st century regal living. Conceived by H.H Sawai Jai Singh II as a private palace, a garden retreat, built for his beloved wife, Chandra Kanwar Ranawat ji, the daughter of the Maharana of Mewar, Rajmahal Palace has stood witness to over two hundred and fifty years of history.

In 1821, Rajmahal became the official residence of the British Resident Political Officer of Rajputana and in 1958 His Highness Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur – the celebrated and dashing ‘Jai’ – chose it as his personal private residence. Over the decades this remarkable Palace has hosted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, as well as several other members of the British Royal Family, and eminent international celebrities such as Jackie Kennedy, Lord and Lady Mountbatten, and the Shah of Iran.

Following a carefully orchestrated restoration by the prodigious designer Adil Ahmad, this palace continues to embody the heritage of its past, maintaining the original, stunning marble staircase, elaborate chandeliers, and treasured family possessions.

Initially comprising 14 Royal Apartments, Suites and Palace Rooms we invite guests to be a part of Rajmahal Palace and share its history and hospitality.

THE STYLE

A NOTE FROM THE INTERIOR DESIGNER ADIL AHMAD

“Rajmahal makes a statement where style and symmetry dominate. It is both a classical and a contemporary home within the walls of a royal palace. From first being conceived as a pleasure garden for a favourite Queen, this property, once on the outskirts of Jaipur and now at its core, became the British Residency, and then finally reverted back to being the private home of His Highness Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur. Theirs was a family of unparalleled riches and power, indelible truths that mark the history of the Kachwaha clan, from the grand City Palace complex to the majestic Amber Fort and much more. Signs of their power are symbolized by many historical facts. One was the gifting of the land on which sits the Taj Mahal, wonder of the world, given by the Jaipur royal family to the Mughal Emperor for the mausoleum he crafted for his beloved wife. The other significant piece of land they released to the British Crown was for Viceroy’s House on Raisina Hill in New Delhi, now Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Presidential Palace. The Jaipur Column designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens commemorates that transaction; it stands tall in the forecourt of the building.

For me, Rajmahal Palace epitomizes the power and sensibility of a ruling family that actively contributed and participated in the layered history of India. It is an extraordinary ‘home’ set in an extraordinary city that is a living museum without boundaries, embracing one and all, a celebration of a vibrant diversity. The painstakingly restored palace, a sparkling gem, embodies that ethos of Jaipur and its royal family, its glittering past and is now entering its gilded future.”