Hotel Umaid
Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
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).
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Here for Reservation |