Sajjangarh 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.
Maharana Sajjan Singh started the construction of the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace Udaipur, who was the 72nd ruler of the Mewar Dynasty. The Place reflects the rich culture and history of the Mewar Kingdom. He ruled for only 10 years due to his untimely death. But it was under his reign that Udaipur gained recognition as the second Municipality in India. He was a great thinker and developer and have a major contribution to developing Udaipur City.
History of Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace
Maharana Sajjan Singh was the 72nd ruler of the Mewar dynasty. In addition, he undertook many projects of civil work like road, dam constructions, water supply & other developments in infrastructure. Later on, he took a project to build an astronomical observatory which is the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace. Unfortunately, he passed away before he could complete the Sajjangrah Monsoon Palace. Later on, his successor Fateh Singh completed its construction keeping a palatial hunting lodge in mind.
Architecture of Sajjangarh Fort
The palace possesses a very grand court in its center that consists of various rooms and even a staircase. The court also comprises a very huge statuette of Maharana Pratap made out of bronze. Apart from this, the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace also consists of domes, fountains, Jharokhas, marble pillars engraved with floral carvings that reflect the vibrant architecture, culture and art of Rajasthan and even the royal quarters that have been further divided into Zanana Mahal (rooms for women) and Mardana Mahal (rooms for men).
The fort also comprises the Diwan-e-Khaas (hall meant for audiences that were private) and the Diwan-e-Aam (hall meant for general public). Lime mortar has been used for the plaster of the fort walls. There are tall turrets within the fort that are regulated by guards and they are visible even from a very long distance.
During the evening, the fort is illuminated and the view of the fort is very similar to fairytale castle floating in the night sky. There is a museum located in the ground floor of the beautiful palace that consists of paintings, maps of the palace, designs of the beautiful palace and even pictures of different kinds. The place also comprises an original system for rainwater collection which has the capability to store 195,500 liters of water. This water reservoir served to be very useful and the idea was also very innovative because of the dry desert environment of Udaipur. Boat ride across Lake Pichola renders a mesmerizing sight of the grand palace located at Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace.
On the flipside, the great palace one would get the stunning sight of the valley that is covered with thick and dense forest along with lush greenery. The place is not found to be commercialized as there are no vendors and no shops found in and around the fort. This makes the fort and the entire area surrounding the fort very peaceful, calm and quite. The palace also possesses a restaurant that remains under the supervision and is also owned by The Lalit Groups.
The restaurant provides breakfast, lunch, coffee and tea to the tourists who visit the fort. The Sajjangarh Fort Udaipur is considered to be the best sightseeing spot of Udaipur and this is the reason why it is very popular as a tourist destination in the city. Rs. 10 is the entry fee for the Indians into the fort and for foreigners it is Rs.80. Students can enter the fort with a nominal entry fee of just Rs.2. However, it is very sad that the fort is not being maintained by the Government of Rajasthan is an appropriate manner.
The interiors of the fort have been ruined and the fort walls have also got damaged. The authorities who have the responsibility of maintaining the fort should take useful measures in improving the Palace condition because of its importance as a tourist destination in Udaipur.
Entry fees and timings of Sajjangarh Fort
The Entry Fee of Monsoon Palace is Rs. 10 for Indians and Rs. 80 for foreigners.
The Timings to visit Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace is from 8 am to 6 pm. It is open on all days of the week.
Best Time to Visit Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace
As the name suggests, Sajjangarh 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.
How to reach Sajjangarh Palace
The City of Lakes, Udaipur, is very well connected. There is an airport, railway station and a national highway connecting it to all nearby cities and states. You can reach Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace via multiple ways mentioned below.
Airways- Dapok airport of Udaipur is about 27.4 Km away and can be easily reached by domestic flights from Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Ahmedabad.
Railways- You can take a direct train to Udaipur from various places such as Mumbai, Agra, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Chennai, and Ahmedabad. Udaipur railway station is 7.9 Km from Sajjangarh Fort.
Roadways- The Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace is 10km away from central Udaipur City. You can take a local cab, auto-rickshaw or a bus run by the government to reach the destination.