10. City Palace, Jaipur

The magnificent City Palace of Jaipur is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the city's old part. The vast palace complex occupied one-seventh of the walled city, built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh from 1729 to 1732. It was once the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur. The Palace is divided into courtyards, buildings, and gardens, including the Chandra Mahal and the Mubarak Mahal. The museum exhibits various unique handicrafts and other things belonging to the royal heritage of the City Palace.

The facade itself is designed with sharp and detailed handwork and displays a mix of Mughal and Rajput architectural styles. Jai Singh II built the outer wall, however the Palace itself has undergone several changes over time, some of them even dating back to the early 20th century. The City Palace has three gates, from which Virendra Pol and Udai Pol are open to the public.

The architectural style of the City Palace was a fusion of the Shilpa Shastra of Indian architecture along with Rajput, Mughal and European styles. The main architects for the construction of the Palace were Vidyadhar Bhattacharya and Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob. The architects were quick to follow classical Indian principles like the Vastushastra during the construction of the Palace. It was built with red and pink sandstone and has three gates, namely 'Tripolia Gate', 'Udai Pol', 'Virendra Pol'. The entrances are intricately decorated with the finest craftsmanship and are a fitting preamble to what lies within. The palace complex is designed in the form of a grid and has a number of structures within its boundaries, such as 'Chandra Mahal', 'Govind Dev Ji Temple', 'Mubarak Mahal' and 'Diwan-I-Khas'. Murals, mosaics, honeycomb windows and meticulous stonework make the Palace a perfect blend of design, art, colour and culture.