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About Samode Palace |
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Samode Palace, Samode Haveli and Samode Bagh (Garden) are
heritage monuments and structures constructed by the noble
feudatory with the hereditary title of 'Maha Rawal' or 'Maha
Saheb’ of the Amber and Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. All three
have rich history of several hundred years and exhibit a
combination of Mughal and Rajasthani art and architecture.
They are now part of the Heritage group of hotels under the
flagship name of “Samode” that are run by the hereditary
owners of these structures. The Samode Palace is situated
about 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Jaipur city, the Samode
Haveli is close to Jaipur (centrally located within city
limits, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away from the city railway
station) and the Samode Bagh or Garden, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)
from the palace which is also run as a luxury hotel. |
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History of
Samode |
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The
Nathawats of Samode played a significant role in the durbar of
Jaipur where they served as prime ministers. Their thikana,
which is situated in a charming village, in surrounded by
fertile fields, while a ring of sharp hills was the seat for
their fortifications.
The Samode Palace was awarded by one of the Kachchwaha rulers of
Amber to one of his twelve sons four and a half centuries ago. |
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Structures of Samode |
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The
three heritage structures are:
1)Samode palace
The palace, built by the noblemen of the court of the royal
family, is situated near the Samode village on the outskirts of
Shekhawat. It is built of sandstone at the foot of the Aravalli
range of hills (the foremost mountain range of north-western
India) with a fortress like setting. The interiors of the palace
are composed in the ancient architectural style of Rajasthan:
marble floors, intricately ornamented pillars, mosaic walls
(with tiny pieces of small inlaid stones), with luxurious
carpets, and decorated with old wall paintings (hunting scenes,
floral motifs and so forth). At the entrance gate of the palace
is a unique piece of a large sized fortune chest made of dark
wood with marble settings and shiny glass.
The Samode village near the palace is noted for its cloth made
by block printing and also for handicrafts such as bangle
making.There is a small artists' colony in the village where
miniature paintings are made.
2)Samode haveli
The haveli is constructed facing north. It has a stylish painted
dining room and an airy passage. It has a distinctive
environment of the historic juxtaposed against a contemporary
setting. An elephant ramp, specially constructed at the entrance
to the haveli, was laid in 1940 on the occasion of the marriage
ceremony of a member of the Royal family.
3)Samode bagh
Samode Bagh, Mahar kalan or garden, a 16th century Mughal style
garden, surrounded by a 15 feet (4.6 m) high wall it extends
over an area of 20 acres (8.1 ha). It also has 44 sandbank
coloured tents with air-conditioning to accommodate visitors. It
combines traditional Rajasthan and Mughal decorations with the
Victorian style, with modern facilities. It has a 200 feet (61
m) long water channel with a row of fountains that are fed by
springs and wells. The tent walls also portray graceful
paintings in Mughal art. The tents have been equipped with
carpets, standing lamps and well designed beds and chairs and
other modern facilities.There is also a 150 year old pavilion
within the divisions of the garden. |
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Geography and climate |
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Geographically, the three monuments and the village of Samode
and its structures are in the perfect hill range of the Aravalli
Range in north-western India.
The climate at Samode is severe with summer heat reaching as
high as 45 °C (113 °F) and winter temperatures dropping to 4
°C(39 °F). |
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How to get here |
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Samode is located on the Agra - Bikaner highway, about 42
kilometers north west of Jaipur city in the state of Rajasthan.
Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan is well connected to most
of the cities by rail, road and air. |
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