Rambagh Palace

The Rambagh Palace stands eight kilometers outside the walls of the capital city of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Built in 1835, the original structure was meant to be a home for a favorite handmaiden to the queen. It was converted into a royal hunting lodge in 1887 due to its ideal location deep in a thickly forested area at the time.

It did not become a palace until the early 20th century, at which point Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, an architect renowned for his work on Indian public buildings, expanded the lodge to function as the royal residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, an Indian noble rank similar to that of a prince.

Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II lived in Rambagh until 1957, at which point he converted the property into a luxury hotel. In 1972, Taj Hotels and Resorts purchased the building and continues to house visitors today in their historic hotel often referred to as the “Jewel of Jaipur”.