Monsoon Palace

The glow

On its hilltop the palace is lit with a golden orange glow

The Monsoon Palace, also called Sajjan Garh, is a hilltop palace in Udaipur, overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake. High in the Aravalli Hills, it is illuminated in the evenings, giving a golden orange glow. It offers a panoramic view of the city's lakes, palaces and surrounding countryside.

The clouds

It was built chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds

Maharana Sajjan Singh had it built in 1884, chiefly to watch the monsoon clouds, which is why it is popularly known as the Monsoon Palace. It is said that he built it at the top of the hill to get a view of his ancestral home, Chittorgarh.

The young Maharana

Sajjan Singh came to the throne at 15, and his uncle plotted against it

Sajjan Singh came to the throne when he was 15 years old. His uncle Sohan Singh challenged his right to the crown and plotted through astrologers, who said the timing for the coronation was not appropriate. The British agent persuaded them to give a favourable date, and the crowning came two years after that.

The plan

He planned an astronomical centre but died young, and the plan was shelved

Maharana Sajjan Singh planned an astronomical centre and a resort for the royal family. He died prematurely at the age of 26, after only 10 years of rule, and the plans were shelved for some time. His successor, Maharana Fateh Singh, completed the palace and used it to watch the monsoon clouds.

The cistern

A cistern in the grounds could hold 195,500 litres of rainwater

The grounds hold a water harvesting structure that collects rainwater in an underground cistern. Even so, the water supply was found to be inadequate and the palace was abandoned. It is now under the control of the Forest Department of the Government of Rajasthan and has recently been opened to the public.

195,500litres the underground cistern could hold