Sajjangarh Palace

Located just on the outskirts of the city of Udaipur, perched atop a hill, Sajjangarh Palace is a former royal residence belonging to the Mewar dynasty, who ruled over this place for centuries. The palatial complex is named after its patron, Maharana Sajjan Singh, who ordered its construction and had it erected in 1884.

It was originally intended to be a nine-storeyed astronomical observatory to note and assess the arrival and patterns of monsoon clouds, which could be easily perceived from the palace because of its location at a strategic vantage point at one of the hilltops of Aravalli, called Bansdara Peak. For this reason, it has also earned the name Monsoon Palace. It would have also created employment opportunities for the subjects.

However, due to the premature death of Maharana Sajjan Singh, that did not turn into a reality. His successor Maharana Fateh Singh transformed it into a place of recreation. During his tenure and after that, the Monsoon Palace was primarily used as a hunting lodge for the royal family of Mewar and their guests.

Staying true to the contemporary styles of that time, Sajjangarh Palace displays fascinating Rajput architecture, complete with high towers, turrets, balconies, and pillars. It even had the facilities to harvest rainwater in unique scientific techniques.

History of Sajjangarh Palace

The builder of the Monsoon Palace, Maharana Sajjan Singh, was the 72nd ruler of the Mewar dynasty. After becoming the Rana in 1874, he undertook many projects of civil work in the city of Udaipur, like road and dam constructions, water supply, and other developments in infrastructure.

Sajjangarh Palace was the most ambitious project that he started during the late years of his reign, but unfortunately, he passed away before he could complete it as per his vision of an astronomical observatory. His successor, Fateh Singh completed its construction keeping a palatial hunting lodge in mind. In any case, it is one of the grandest constructions of that era, with a spectacular view from all around.

From the top balconies of the Monsoon Palace, one can get a splendid view of the entire city of Udaipur, all its lakes, palaces, and forts, as well as the ancestral home of the Mewars, Chittorgarh. Maybe for this reason this spot was chosen by Maharana Sajjan Singh to have his palatial observatory. One can also have a direct view of the entire stretch of the Fateh Sagar Lake, constructed by Maharana Fateh Singh himself.

If you visit the Monsoon Palace anytime during the afternoon, make sure to wait and witness the sunset, which looks stunning from the vast balconies of the heritage building.

Currently, the palace is owned by the Forest Department of the state of Rajasthan and has been recently opened for public entry.

Architecture of Sajjangarh Palace

The facade of the Monsoon Palace is made of stark white marble, and in true Rajasthani style, it is characterized by high turrets, multiple pillars, gigantic domes, and jharokhas. There is a grand central court with staircases leading up to multiple rooms and chambers on all sides. The pillars which support the entire building have intricate floral motifs on them.

The rest of the walls are covered in detailed carvings as well, giving the interiors of the palace an undeniable charm.
The palace housed an underground harvesting structure with a cistern of 195,500 liters capacity. But it still proved to be inadequate given Rajasthan’s arid conditions, and the palace was abandoned eventually.