Storied past of 'Rambagh Place' now in coffee table book

Rambagh Palace, resplendent in all its 47 acres, was converted into a hotel in 1957. The management was then entrusted to the Taj Group in 1972. The palace has since blossomed into a fine heritage hotel and the book, released here recently, lifts the curtain of time to afford one a glimpse into the dazzling reign of royalty.

"Turning the pages of the coffee table book that chronicles the 177-year-old hotel's storied past, it seems that the 30s were undoubtedly the glorious, golden years of Rambagh," reminisces Rajmata Gayatri Devi, the Maharaja's ethereal wife, named the most beautiful woman in the world by a magazine in 1940.

As the World War loomed and many officers were called away on duty, she took over the running of the household. With her gracious hospitality, she entertained Viceroys, lords and their ladies, polo players, officers and artists.

The book establishes that Rambagh Palace is a living legend in Jaipur. Rambagh achieved the status of a palace when Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II returned to his childhood home in 1925. The pride of the palace at that time was the sprawling garden that featured in Peter Coat's "Most Beautiful Gardens of the World".

Its rooms have four-poster beds and walk-in wardrobes; the Sukh Niwas Suite comes with arched stonework, textured drapes and fabrics, crystal chandeliers, gold-leaf frescoes, and large windows that open onto the gardens and views of the Aravalli hills.

"Home to history, heritage and heroic folkfore, Rambagh Palace is a timeless testimony to an extravagance that was once the sole preserve of kings. If the walls of palace could talk, they would whisper tales of sapphires and diamonds, of martini-soaked lunches and grand leaves, of places built and gifted on a whim," writes Maharaj Jai Singh in the foreword.

The book titled "Rambagh Palace, Jaipur" has been authored by Dharmendar Kanwar and illustrated by Bharath Ramamrutham, tells the story of a unique institution. MORE