Moti Bagh Palace
Moti Bagh Mahal is a palace in Patiala. The palace was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh, the great-grandfather of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, in 1847, at a cost of half a million rupees. The Old Palace is one of the largest residencies in Asia, housing the Netaji Subhas National…
Moti Bagh Palace, perched on the eastern fringe of Patiala, is a study in regal waste. Built in 1847 by Maharaja Narinder Singh for half a million rupees, the Old Palace – a sprawling six‑storeyed sandstone behemoth – now houses the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, so expect the echo of sprint drills rather than royal fanfare; the interiors are largely stripped, the marble staircases serviceable but drab, and the original frescoes survive only in faint whispers. The New Moti Bagh, a glass‑and‑brick block that became the home of former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, is an unremarkable bureaucratic annex rather than a palace, and its security makes casual access impossible. For a fleeting glimpse of Patiala’s princely past, aim for a guided tour of the institute’s public courtyard at 10 a.m. on a weekday – the guard will let you through if you’re polite and unarmed. Skip the glossy promotional videos; the real attraction is the sprawling lawns where state guests once chased peacocks, now a tangle of overgrown neem and cricket nets. Late October to early March is the only sensible window; summer heat turns the marble into an oven and monsoon mud‑slips make the drive from the railway station miserable. Stay in the modest Heritage Guesthouse on G.T. Road for proximity and a decent breakfast of butter‑laden aloo paratha, then move on – Patiala’s worth lies more in its bhangra‑filled markets than in a half‑dead palace.
Source · Wikipedia · Moti Bagh Palace · CC-BY-SA
- Tips coming soon — this entry is freshly seeded from Wikipedia.