Named after Maharana Sajjan Singh, the Monsoon Palace is also known as Sajjan Garh Palace. Posted at the top of a hill, the Monsoon Palace was originally built to overlook Maharana Sajjan Singh’s hometown, Chittorgarh. The Monsoon Palace offers a panoramic view of Udaipur which had risen to prominence under the rule of Maharana Sajjan Singh. The palace was planned to be a 9 storied astronomical observatory which would record the arrival of monsoons by keeping track of the monsoon clouds. Unfortunately due to the untimely death of Maharana Sajjan Singh, the plan of construction was shifted over to his successor Maharana Fateh Singh. He constructed a lake which he named Fateh Sagar Lake, which could be viewed directly from the palace. The royal family used the palace as a hunting lodge too.
The palace has been built keeping in mind the Rajput architectural style. The Monsoon Palace has been built with white marble which has been labored in with turrets, towers and pillars which depict beautiful motifs of leaves and flowers. Despite the beauty of the Monsoon Palace along with its unique rainwater harvesting techniques, Monsoon Palace was slowly abandoned and has not been renovated as required due to lack of water. Not until very recently, the Monsoon Palace has been opened to the public and has been added to the list Udaipur’s popular tourist destination.
History
The Monsoon Palace, also known as the Sajjan Garh Palace, is a hilltop palatial residence in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan in India, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake. It is named Sajjangarh after Maharana Sajjan Singh (1874–1884) of the Mewar Dynasty, who built it in 1884. The palace offers a panoramic view of the city’s lakes, palaces and surrounding countryside. It was built chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds; hence, appropriately, it is popularly known as Monsoon Palace. It is said that the Maharana built it at the top of the hill to get a view of his ancestral home, Chittaurgarh. Previously owned by the Mewar royal family, it is now under the control of the Forest Department of the Government of Rajasthan and has recently been opened to the public. The palace provides a beautiful view of the sunset.
Architecture
The façade is made of stark white marble in true Rajasthani style. Rajasthani architecture reflects in the domes, fountains, jharokhas, and high turrets. Marble pillars form the foundation of the fort. These marble pillars have been carved with exclusive motifs of flowers and leaves. The walls also have detailed carvings.
Lime mortar was used for plastering the palace walls. The central court has a staircase that leads to several quarters and rooms. The interiors dazzle tourists with an undeniable charm.
The ground floor now houses a museum with a collection of maps, paintings, and pictures.
An underground harvesting structure had a cistern of 195, 500 liters capacity in the palace to collect rainwater. It did not prove adequate due to Rajasthan's arid conditions. Eventually, the royal family abandoned the palace.
In 1983, James Bond film Octopussy featured it as the palace of exiled Afghan prince Kamal Khan. Afghan prince happened to be the villain of the movie.
Best Time to Visit
As the name suggests, Monsoon palace is best visited during the monsoon to fully capture its magnificence. It would be a good idea to avoid visiting Monsoon palace during summer time as the temperatures can rise up to 40 degree celsius. Winters are a good time to visit too but you may miss the reason as to why the palace earned this pseudonym.
