Jaipur-situated City Palace’ Sabha Niwas is now serving as a dynamic gallery for public which showcases Jaipur’s princely culture and rich courtly traditions. Housed within the City Palace complex, the hall exhibits a remarkable collection of archival objects dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries—many of which were once owned or commissioned by the royal family of Jaipur.
Open to visitors daily from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Sabha Niwas offers a rare glimpse into artifacts that have remained out of public view for decades. At the heart of the hall is its magnificent royal canopy, last seen in use during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II. Suspended above is a show-stopping Bohemian crystal chandelier weighing nearly 600 kilograms—painstakingly restored, crystal by crystal, to its former brilliance.
Among the hall’s prized possessions is a pair of thrones dating back to the late 1800s. These were commissioned during a pivotal period in Jaipur’s history, when the princely state was navigating its evolving relationship with the British Raj. Reflecting the changing aesthetic preferences of the Kachhwaha rulers, the thrones blend traditional Indian form with 19th-century European design—featuring fluted legs, embroidered upholstery, and ornate gilded detailing.
Another significant highlight is a ceremonial haathi howdah (elephant seat) that once carried Queen Elizabeth II. During her 1961 state visit to Jaipur—part of a larger trip ahead of India’s Republic Day parade—Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh rode in regal procession through Jaipur’s Old City, seated on a caparisoned elephant beside Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II.
With its restoration complete and its doors open once more, Sabha Niwas stands not only as a preserved monument of the past, but also as a renewed space of storytelling—immersing today’s visitors in the grandeur of Jaipur’s royal heritage.