Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh is one of the most prominent ancient gardens in Ghat Ki Guni, Jaipur. I have already written a detailed post on Ghat Ki Guni. It is one of the most striking alleys you can find in the pink city. The entire road is lined with beautiful chhatris or pavilions on either side. Almost every building on this road has a temple. It also has Charbagh style Mughal gardens, the most prominent of which is Sisodia Rani Garden. Recently, a heritage photo-walk was organized here to highlight this lesser-explored tourist attraction of Jaipur. It was a part of a photo-walk series being organized by the Department of Archaeology to spread awareness about offbeat attractions in Jaipur. I too joined this photo-walk as I had not visited Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh, lately. This ancient garden was a popular wedding venue in Jaipur for years until authorities decided otherwise.
Check out Ghat Ki Guni- In Class Of Its Own
70 photographers from Jaipur joined this photo-walk. It is interesting to see so many photographers together despite the fact that they all have a different background. Professional and amateur. Male and female. Young and old. There is only one passion that binds everyone together – photography. There are no rules to join these photo walks in Jaipur; it really doesn’t matter whether you click with a DSLR, point & shoot camera, or smartphone. All that one needs is love for photography.
History
Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1710 AD for one of his queens, called Sisodia Rani and hence it is called so. She was the princess of the Sisodia Rajput clan that ruled Mewar ( Udaipur) region of Rajasthan. Rani means queen in Hindi. Since she was from Sisodia clan people fondly called her Sisodia Rani.
This place played a silent role in the history of Jaipur. Sisodia Rani wanted a separate dwelling unit from the rest of the queens residing at Janana Dyodi in Amer Fort. The king agreed & he built this place for her. There was another condition attached to her marriage. The son born to her would become heir to the throne bypassing any other claimant. As per prevalent practice eldest son was eligible for the accession. It is clear that she considered herself superior to all other queens of Jai Singh II and demanded a treatment most befitting. She gave birth to Sawai Mado Singh I but with the turn of events, it was Ishwari Singh who became the ruler of Jaipur which led to long years of battle for accession between brothers. Madho Singh, I collaborated with Marathas and attacked Jaipur. Fate had other plans! Ishwari Singh committed suicide and Madho Singh-I finally became the king of Jaipur. This garden predates the founding of Jaipur by 17 years. Just for reference, it was Ishwari Singh who built Isar Laat near Jantar Mantar.
Architecture & Layout
Sisodia Rani Garden is a visual treat for heritage and architecture lovers as it is built in Rajput style adorned with murals & flanked with Chhatris in various styles. The garden, on the other hand, is built in Charbagh style. Where else can you find a Mughal garden with Rajput architecture?
The layout of the garden is in Charbagh style spread over three tiers. To the uninitiated Charbagh concept was introduced in India by Mughals. Originating in the Middle East, probably Persia, it consists of equal size four gardens with water channels & fountains running in between.
Charbagh concept is derived from the Quran which mentions four gardens of paradise. The most prominent Charbagh style gardens in India are in Srinagar, Delhi, and Agra (Taj Mahal). Although the concept is foreign to Indian culture & religion long rule of Mughals in India did influence local architecture and culture. Kachhawa Rajput clan which ruled Jaipur had a close association with Mughals as they fought many wars as their army general. This led to a strong Mughal influence in local architecture at both Amer and Jaipur.
The garden has undergone renovation over the last few years and some elements look out of place. This idol is one such piece because it is certainly not a local style.
I often wonder if renovating a heritage site is a good idea? Well, there is no option if we want to keep our legacy for future generations but at the same time, we need to keep in mind that it should blend well with the overall concept and theme.
I need to mention here that whoever designed this garden 300 years ago ensured that the staircase is not visible from any of the levels. It has been designed in a way that it remains concealed.
Another interesting element to watch out is murals. The walls of the palace section are hand-painted in local style. These paintings cover the entire building and this definitely makes it one of its kind in Jaipur.
Krishna is a popular theme that can be seen here. Apart from this, certain wall sections have a strong local influence & design. Both Jaipur and Mewar rulers were ardent fans of Lord Krishna. I have no clue whether these walls were originally covered in a similar pattern as these have been done under a restoration project.
These Jharokas have witnessed better days when it was a royal abode. It is just a tourist attraction now! Somethings have not changed despite the passing of three centuries. Life is still tough for the common man.
The palace section is closed for the visitors. This enclosure made with a wooden frame and glass seems to have been a later addition when it was being let out as a wedding venue.
Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea because it ruins its original character. Closing off the palace section robs the experience. In my opinion, the palace section should be open to visitors. It will certainly increase its appeal and it will be worth the money.
Have you read a related post on Galtaji Monkey Temple?
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Check out other Photo-Walks in Jaipur
Sisodia Rani Garden is not a huge garden unlike the ones in Srinagar, Kashmir. Heritage buildings are always a big attraction among travelers and tourists. You are unlikely to find a similar garden anywhere else except Jaipur. The only notable one worth mentioning here is Sahelion Ki Bari in Udaipur but its layout is quite different. Have you been there or heard about it? In my opinion, Sisodia Rani Garden is an offbeat destination in Jaipur that every explorer must visit.
How to reach?
You can club your visit with Galtaji or Monkey Temple in Jaipur. This garden is in the Ghat Ki Guni area. Ghat Ki Guni is 15-20 minutes drive from Johari Bazaar.
Best time to visit
In winters, it can be visited throughout the day however during summers it is best visited during the early morning. Sisodia Rani Garden Timing is from 8 AM to 8 PM. There are plans to make it accessible under the night tourism scheme as well. Entry Fee for Indians is Rs 50 and Rs 200 for foreign tourists.
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JaipurThruMyLens 
Very well documented ❤
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Thanks 🙂
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Beautiful set of photographs Arv. I like photo walks because you meet new people and get see experience areas you might not have visited before
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I don’t know why but WP think your comment is a spam and marked it as a spam message. Just retrieved it from my spam folder. You are 100% correct here, Mike! I don’t interact so much with everyone since my focus is on photography and with a limited time at disposal, not much choice. But even then, there are lots of new things to see and do!
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Looks like the app works. Anyway, a beautiful set of photographs. I like photo walks because you get to meet new people and often experience places you’ve never visited before.
One of the things I’m finding is it’s getting harder and harder to photograph without tourists getting in the way. Bit silly me saying that as there’s probably other photographers thinking “I wish he’d get out of the way”
I notice in a lot of your photographs not too many people around. Did you have special access. Or was just a case of waiting until someone had moved.
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Mike, I agree that photo-walks have their own fun. I have seen couple of your posts on photo-walks. Personally, I prefer 8:2 ratio when it comes to solo vs photo-walks. With other people around, you have a different mindset. So there are plus and minus.
The only people in these pictures are other photographers. We had a special access which is much before it is open for the public. In any case, the temperature these days is in excess of 40C which means fewer visitors and tourists in the city. As for pictures without people, I generally prefer to be either ahead of the group or the other way around. In this case, I chose to wait for everyone to move ahead so clicked in the end. It’s always a dilemma and you have to work your way around. Also, many photographers choose to stick with popular spots, this surely provides you with an extra leverage!
So you have been accessing blog through the WP app?
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I’ve been writing all of the one photograph posts using the WordPress app on my iPhone, Arv. Found this was the easiest way, capture the photo with the phone and I can publish or schedule as required. The only problem I can see is the size of the photographs in Mb as I’m using the WP media library instead of Flickr. But it lets me get the post out and as I found out I can also comment on other blogs, like yours.
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Mike, I think the problem with the photographer in us is that we prefer large size pictures for obvious reasons. But it is always better to post small size pictures because it loads fast and with a large number of readers accessing it via an app, I think it wins. I’m not sure what size Flickr pictures are but it is always a good idea to keep the picture size south of 500kb. Yes, accessibility is a big advantage. It liberates you a lot…especially when you travel. But then, as with other apps, they have limited options. well, you just can’t win with everything, they say!! 🙂
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Arv, when I load to Flickr I use 2048 pixels on the long edge and keep the size to around 350kb. Works well for the blog. Until I get home and access my blog from a PC I’m not sure what size the WP App is uploading the iPhone photographs to the media server. I would hope it’s doing some sort of compression but I can’t be sure. But for keeping in touch I can’t really fault the app. I just wouldn’t use it all the time.
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I have no clue about the size of picture that WP uploads. I never use this for creating a post. I use it for rest of things like reading and commenting on posts. Probably, you can enlighten me when it’s feasible for you to access your desktop, Mike.
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Good one Sir as usual!
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Thanks, Abhay. Happy to hear that you liked this post. Arv is just fine. 🙂
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Beautiful
Love your new web site look too.
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Thanks. There has been no change lately as far as the look is concerned. 🙂
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Funny , it looks new to me.
I should visit more often.
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😃👍
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What a treat and what a delight to go through the Sisodia Rani Garden! You did a fine job, arv!, in documenting the architectural splendour of this amazing site in Jaipur. I noticed how lush the garden and the lawn looked. Is there a lot of watering required?
Also I agree with you when it comes to maintaining this site for future generations, one must be careful not to destroy the authentic look by avoiding modern add-ons to the architecture. Thank you, Arv!
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I have been visiting this place from my young days when it was a very popular wedding venue. Back then I had no idea about history or context of this garden, as a kid. I’m not sure if you have noticed that hills around are all batten. During monsoon, which is a rainy season the hills around become lush green. Probably, I need to post a picture to depict the transformation. I agree that some special efforts are required to ensure that everything goes well together. As for the water for the lawn…yes, it does require extra efforts. Thanks for appreciating and sharing your thoughts. I must acknowledge that you are one of the most loyal visitor to my blog. 🙂
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Arv this post is one of those masterpieces, which would be looked at time and again! Brilliant photography combined with historical facts makes it worth reading for posterity. Those murals couldn’t have been as old as the structures!
I have not visited this garden but have seen many similar heritage gardens in Srinagar, Pinjore and the one that surrounds The Taj. I have visited Sahelion Ki Bari but don’t remember its lay out. What I remember is that I was not impressed with it.
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Thanks for the appreciation. What really makes these gardens in Jaipur special is the fact that they are a fusion of two different architectural styles. Mughal and Rajput. Each one is distinct and a depicts grandeur in its own way. I have seen Mughal gardens in Srinagar too, they are quite huge in comparison to this one. What really steals the show is the palace, chhatris, and Jharokhas. You can find them only here. I must appreciate that you are one of the most loyal readers who never forget to read my post. Thanks for being around. 🙂
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Beautiful pictures! I love the details of all of the little paintings on the wall, it makes the buildings even more unique!
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Well said, Lise. The painting lends it a unique character. I haven’t come across any other building that has been painted in a similar style. Thanks for appreciating and sharing your thoughts. 😃
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A lovely post with great details of Sisodia Rani ka Bagh with excellent images.
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I’m happy you liked this post. 😃
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Have I told you how much I love my little trips to incredible India via your great blog posts, Arv? Thanks once more for sharing! Marcus
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Thanks Marcus for making my day. It’s nice to know that all these efforts are worth it. Appreciate your comment 😃
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You are very welcome 😀
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😃👍
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The architecture is simply incredible.
Worth a Thousand Words
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Amazing place! Fabulous photos! Thank you for sharing.
Kay
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
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Thanks, Kay for sharing your thoughts. Appreciate it 👍😊
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Beautifully photographed Arvind. Its not much explored. I have been there years back. It was nearing renovation completion then. There is some place on the other side of the road where no one was aloud as getting renovated. When I used to tell folks about it, they used to be surprised as unaware. Those who did visit loved it.
Am yet to do photo walks……. The heat stops me 😁 This winters maybe 👍
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Monika, I’m happy to know that you have been to this garden. You are right about the other similar gardens. There are three, actually. They are all interlinked to form a huge one. The renovation is long over and now it’s a part of night tourism. It’s equally bad here as far as heat is concerned. When you start at 6-6.30 you can easily keep the heat factor away. Try it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. 😃
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Why night tourism?
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Some tourist attractions are now open from 7 to 10 pm for tourists to allow them to use evening time too.
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Oh that sounds cool…….
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Very detailed post with beautiful photos 👍
Thanks for sharing 🙂 Arv
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Thanks, Sachin. I’m happy you liked it 😃
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So beautifully ornate! Lovely shots.
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Thanks, Fiona. It must be different from your part of the world. 🙂
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Amazing how much beauty can be there in a single spot. I love India for this. I can spend hours walking through such places. Not much of a photographer though but I love the experience itself. 🙂
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Sigh… every post of yours makes me so sad that I haven’t been to India yet!
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I hope someday you get to visit India, Amelia! 🙂
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We will! My kids are 3 and 1… I think I’d like the youngest to be at least 5. What do you think?
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I guess it’s better when you don’t have kids on your mind all the time. 3 & 5 will be a good age for traveling to India, Amelia. 😃
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