Umaid Bhawan Palace

Umaid Bhawan was commissioned in 1929, during a long drought, explicitly to give work to thousands of people over the years it took to build, and finished in 1943. The architect Henry Lanchester produced a hybrid of Rajput forms and art deco, in golden Jodhpur sandstone cut and interlocked without mortar, with a central dome nearly fifty metres high over a domed hall. It has three hundred and forty-seven rooms. Part remains the residence of the former ruling family, part operates as a luxury hotel, and part is a museum showing clocks, weapons, an armoury and a collection of vintage cars in the forecourt.

What you actually see

• The deco exterior - Rajput and art deco forms in interlocked sandstone.
• The museum galleries - clocks, armoury, photographs and royal collections.
• The vintage cars - the family's car collection in the forecourt.
• The central dome - the great hall visible from the museum section.

When to go

October to March; Jodhpur summers are severe. The museum keeps standard hours. The building is best seen in late afternoon light from a distance.

Honest expectations

Only the museum section is open; the hotel and residence are strictly closed to visitors, which surprises those expecting to see the interiors. The museum is modest for the ticket price.

Nearby

Mehrangarh Fort lies northwest; Jodhpur old city is below it.