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The huge City Palace, towering over the lake, is the largest palace complex in
Rajasthan. Actually a conglomeration of buildings added by various Maharanas, it still manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design.
The building was started by Maharana Udai Singh II, the city's founder. The palace is surmounted by balconies, tower and cupolas and there are fine view over the lake and the city from the upper terraces.
The palace is entered form the northern end through the Baripol (built 1600 AD) and the Tripolia Gate (1725 AD) with its eight carved marble arches. It was once a custom for Maharanas to be weighed under the gate and their weight in gold or silver distributed to the populace.
The main part of the palace is now preserved as a museum. It includes the MorChowk with its beautiful mosaics of peacocks, the favourite Rajasthani bird, the Manak (or Ruby) Mahal has glass and
mirror work, while Krishna Vilas has a remarkable collection of miniatures (no photography allowed). In the Bari Mahal, there is a pleasant central garden. The Moti Mahal has beautiful
mirror work and the Chini Mahal is covered in ornamental tiles. There's an
armory section downstairs. More paintings can be seen in the Zenana Mahal. There's a large tiger-catching cage near the Zenana Mahal entrance.
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