Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
Si GHTS
Rajasthan
Al WAR
City ̈Palace ̈Complex ̈ HiSTORiC BU il DiNG
Below the fort sprawls the colourful and
convoluted City Palace, or Vinay Vilas Ma-
hal, with massive gates and a tank reflecting
a symmetrical series of ghats and pavilions.
Today, most of the palace is occupied by
government offices, overflowing with piles
of dusty papers and soiled by pigeon drop-
pings and splats of paan (betel-nut chewing
tobacco).
Hidden within the City Palace is the excel-
lent Alwar ̈Museum ̈(indian/foreigner ₹25/50,
h10am-5pm Tue-Sun). Its eclectic exhibits
evoke the extravagance of the maharajas’
lifestyle: stunning weapons, stuffed Scottish
pheasants, royal ivory slippers, erotic mini-
atures, royal vestments, a solid silver tableand stone sculptures, such as an 11th-century
sculpture of Vishnu. It’s on the top floor.
The palace complex is about 1km from
the bus station; turn left out of the station,
then right and immediately left at the near-
by staggered junction before following the
road round to the right and up towards the
palace entrance.Cenotaph ̈of ̈Maharaja ̈
Bakhtawar ̈Singh ̈ HiSTORiC BU il DiNG
This double-storey edifice, resting on a
platform of sandstone, was built in 1815 by
Maharaja Vinay Singh in memory of his fa-
ther. To gain access to the cenotaph, take the
steps to the far left when facing the palace.
The cenotaph is also known as the Chhatri
of Moosi Rani, after one of the mistresses ofSURAJ ̈MAHL’S ̈PALACE, ̈DEEG
Deeg is a small, rarely visited, dusty tumult of a town. At its centre stands an incongru-
ously glorious palace edged by stately formal gardens. Suraj ̈Mahl’s ̈Palace (indian/
foreigner ₹5/100; h9.30am-5.30pm Sat-Thu) is one of India’s most beautiful and carefully
proportioned palace complexes. Pick up a free leaflet with a small map on it at the en-
trance and note that photography is not permitted in some of the bhavans (buildings).
Built in a mixture of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles, the 18th-century Gopal ̈
Bhavan is fronted by imposing arches to take full advantage of the early-morning light.
Downstairs is a lower storey that becomes submerged during the monsoon as the water
level of the adjacent tank, Gopal ̈Sagar, rises. This bhavan was used by the maharajas
until the early 1950s, and contains many original furnishings, including faded sofas,
huge punkas (cloth fans suspended from the ceiling) that are more than 200 years
old, chaise longues, a stuffed tiger, elephant-foot stands and fine porcelain from China
and France. Upstairs is an unusual marble dining table – a stretched oval-shaped affair
raised just 20cm off the floor. Guests would sit around the edge, while food was served
from the centre. In the maharaja’s bedroom is an enormous bed with silver legs.
The Keshav ̈Bhavan (Summer or Monsoon Pavilion) is a single-storey edifice with
five arches along each side, which sits beside the complex’s other large tank, Rup ̈
Sagar. Tiny jets once sprayed water from the archways of this bhavan and metal balls
would rumble around in a water channel imitating monsoon thunder. Deeg’s massive
walls (which are up to 28m high) and 12 vast bastions, some with their cannons still in
place, are also worth exploring. You can walk up to the top of the walls from the palace.
Other bhavans (in various states of renovation) include the marble Suraj ̈Bhavan,
reportedly taken from Delhi and reassembled here, Kishan ̈Bhavan, which acted as a
conference hall and whose back garden was the elephant stables, and Nand ̈Bhavan,
which isn’t always open.
Food options in town are limited, so bring a picnic and have a peaceful lunch in the
palace grounds.
The guy at the palace entrance will let you leave your bags in the ticket office free of
charge if you smile sweetly. Don’t leave valuables. He can also sell you a brochure (₹20)
with a more detailed history and map of the complex than the free leaflet you get.
Deeg is about 36km north of Bharatpur, and is an easy day trip (lucky, because
there’s nowhere good to stay) from Bharatpur or Alwar by bus. Frequent buses run to
and from Alwar (₹64, 2½ hours, until 8pm) and Bharatpur (₹29, one hour, until 9pm).
From the bus stand, turn left and follow the road round to the right for about 400m to
the palace entrance, known as Singh ̈Pol.