Bundi Palace
For the visitor, present day Bundi still retains the charm of a 16th century Rajasthan kingdom. Looking at the hills spread out at the foot of its palace and the imposing Taragarh fort, it is easy to transport oneself back in time.
The Bundi palace clings to the flank of a hill, merging its contours with those of its natural surroundings. The palace has different levels of balconies and apartments - a new part added by a different ruler. But all the various wings merge in such a fashion that when seen from the height of Taragarh, it looks something like chessboard.
Steep access ramp from the city brings the visitor to Hazari Pol, 'Gate of the thousands', named so because of a thousand soldiers who used to be stationed here permanently. Further inside is the most impressive part of the palace, Chattar Mahal. Built by Rao Chattar Sal, this palace shows something unique about his character. Though Chattar Sal fought 52 battles for the Mughals and lost 17 princes of Bundi to these, he eschewed all Mughal influence in the architecture. All one sees is a profusion of Rajasthani elements in the ornamentation - lotus flowers, friezes with elephants, finely chiselled consoles and a large number of pavilions and kiosks. The famous Chitrashala is a delight with frescoes showcasing the art of the Bundi School of painting. One cannot help admiring the 18th century frescoes in tones of blue, green and purple. Bundi also has a number of water tanks and step-wells like the Sabrina-ka-kund and Raniji-ki-Baori. A Solanki princess built the latter. 50 mts deep, it has wide steps that can be approached through an arch, decorated by motifs of elephants making it look very gracious.
It is here that the royal treasure was kept - it was shown to a ruler only once in his lifetime by the guardian Pathans who kept the location a family secret. The last of the guardians died in World War II while the young ruler Maha Rao Bahadur Singh was fighting in far off Burma. The latter came back and searched for the treasure but in vain…. Leaving the fort behind one is left with the impression best described by Rudyard Kipling who was so fascinated by Bundi's palace and fortress that he called it 'a work not of humans but that of imps and goblins'.
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