Raj Bhawan Jaipur, is the official residence of Hon’ble Governor of Rajasthan. The building formed from erstwhile Kothis No 9 and 10 stands apart for its grandeur and grace. The imposing wrought iron gates adorned with the national emblem and the dense plantations in the grounds give a tantalising glimpse of the building and its premises.
The summer resort of Hon’ble Governor at Mt Abu is a heritage building with exquisite architecture and features.
Raj Bhawan has a collection of beautiful Rajputana and British period arts, photographs and artefacts. Marvellous pieces of paintings of Rajputana and British era adorn the galleries of Raj Bhawan. Similarly, sculptures showcased in the grounds depict the rich cultural heritage of the state and speak volumes about different styles of art of erstwhile princely states of Rajputana. Maintenance of these pieces is a ceaseless endeavour and requires utmost care and creativity. An attempt to list these pieces has been done.
The sculptures have also been enlisted and belong to a period as early as 8th century. Examples of these pieces are the sculptured pillars in the Guest House lawn that belong to the Chandrabhaga temple complex(Jhalarapatan) and the winged Garuda seated on a panchrath pedestal adorned with Nag Kanyas in the Raj Bhawan belonging to 18th -19th Century.
For the list of the sculptures that was enlisted by the Department of Archaeology and Museums in 2000-01. Click here.
Three large oil paintings by artist A.H. Muller in European style but on Indian themes give a distinctive look to the main drawing room. Another painting by artist Chhaganlal Gaur depicting the court scene of Mewar under Rana Bhim Singh is a remarkable exhibit in the Raj Bhawan.
For a list of paintings that was documented by Jawahar Kala Kendra in 2003. Click here.
The chandeliers, cupboards, doors, furniture are some of the antiquities of the British time that have been preserved till date. Prized possessions of the Main House are also four Belgian glass mirrors framed in carved wood frame in oriental style.
The later additions to the building and interiors reflect the eclectic tastes of the Governors who have resided here.
On Going Projects:
Hon’ble Governor, Shri Kalyan Singhji, has taken keen interest in conserving and preserving the architecture and artefacts of Raj Bhawan. Under his directions, a Standing Committee for Heritage matters was constituted to advice on conservation, restoration and beautification of the Raj Bhawan premises. The Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur is the technical partner for the project. The scope of the project includes documentation of Raj Bhawan’s premises at Jaipur and Mt. Abu with a view to prepare a Conservation and Restoration Manual.
In the first phase of the restoration and renovation project, the main entrance door and veranda of the Main Building has been completed. The adjoining ADC’s Office in the Main Building and downstairs sitting room has also been renovated. The marble pillars in the porch and statue in the verandah of the Main house have been cleaned and repolished. The Raj Bhawan Guest House has been retrofitted with a Barmer style entrance retrieved from the old main doorway of the Main House.
Taking care of the artifacts, conserving and exhibiting them properly is a prime concern. Buffing and repair of brass chandeliers; repairing, repolishing and lacquering of brass artifacts; repair, silver plating and lacquering of nickel /silver ware art pieces is also being taken up.
For the future care and preservation of these antiques and artifacts a training of the Household staff in basic cleaning and handling of these heritage pieces was organized by MNIT.
To see the work progress, click here
The Lalit Kala Academy Rajasthan has also been directed to take up fresh documentation of the paintings at Raj Bhawan premises with a view to conserve these priceless paintings. The Department for Archaeology and Museums, Government of Rajasthan has also been asked to depute a team to carry out a fresh documentation of sculptures at Raj Bhawan for the purposes of preservation and conservation.
The second phase of the Heritage Conservation Project will focus on further repair, renovation and maintenance of the Main House and its Interiors; renovation of the Guest House;
landscaping and Documentation works.
