Jodhpur\'s Umaid Bhawan : The Maharaja of Palaces

Contents: Foreword/Maharaja Gaj Singh Jodhpur. Introduction/Aman Nath. 1. The men and their motivation. 2. Evolution of the Temple-Mountain Palace. 3. Creating form and space. 4. Blending the ages. 5. The people of the Palace. Glossary. Photo credits. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

"In India, where over five hundred ruling families acceded to the democratic union at the end of the British Raj, there is hardly a dearth of palaces, but the magnificence and scale of Jodhpur\'s Umaid Bhawan, its 347 splendidly appointed rooms and elaborate gardens, its seemingly endless corridors and, for the 1940s, very modern comforts, makes it one of the most enviable of royal residences anywhere in the world.

Strikingly Art Deco in style, Umaid Bhawan also abides by the architectural guidelines formulated by the temple-mountain palaces of ancient South-East Asian God Kings. Fred R. Holmes and Ann Newton Holmes, while meticulously tracing the origins of Henry Vaughan Lanchester\'s design, reveal its quintessential cultural sincerity. The architect\'s assured familiarity with Hindu ritual and symbolism was incorporated into his plan; in stark contrast, the more famous Edwin Lutyens, who disdained all things Indian, had to be coerced into including indigenous elements in the design for New Delhi\'s Viceroy\'s House.

Not even Buckingham Palace, which could well have been the model Umaid Bhawan set out to surpass, has inspired so sumptuous a book. Its 172 pages encompass rare archival material, over three hundred colour photographs as well as nine stunning panoramic gatefolds." (jacket)