If you love the fairytale magic of ancient magnificent palaces, enchanted gardens with a labyrinth of thrilling spots, stories of ancient kings depicting their opulent lives, battles fought, victories brought with walls telling their fascinating stories steeped in history and mythology, Sheesh Mahal in Patiala, Punjab is that place to visit.
Sheesh Mahal, one of the most breathtaking structures in Patiala, is a highly celebrated popular tourist spot, and every year, stupendous exciting cultural programs, art and culture exhibitions, and heritage festivals are organized in the Sheesh Mahal grounds.
Intriguing Wonders of the Sheesh Mahal in Patiala “Palace of Mirrors” – A Place to Visit
The Background History of the Sheesh Mahal
Sheesh Mahal in Urdu means ‘Crystal Palace’ and sparkling in its glory was the dwelling palace of the Maharajas of Patiala. The Sheesh Mahal was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh, a Jat king of Patiala in the year 1845 to 1862. The architecture of the three-storey palace is a stunning blend of both Mughal and European styles said to be modeled on Lahore’s Shalimar Bagh with an ornate suspension bridge very similar to the Lakshman Jhoola at Rishikesh. Representing the resplendent culture of Punjab, Sheesh Mahal is a part of the Qila Mubarak, a fortress of Sikh architecture in Patiala, behind the Old Moti Bagh Palace, a splendid historic building. The palace opens the doors to peek into the dazzling, deluxe lifestyles of ancient kings and rajas of Patiala taking you to another world in time. The Sheesh Mahal is set within the Qila Mubarak,
Maharaja Narinder Singh with his great passion for art, literature, and architecture opened the fountain gates of creativity in his kingdom expansively and opened avenues to allow artists, poets, and scholars to exhibit their skills when they frequented his courts regularly and his efforts enabled artists to advance in their arts and creativity during his reign.
Unique Architecture and Lavish Settings
The unique architecture is graced by two grand exquitely ornate towers and an artistic suspension bridge, similar to Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh, and the palace built in a forest near a shimmering lake with an picturesque bridge across the lake, surrounded by pretty gardens, flowing fountains and the whole setting leaves you relishing in its glorious splendor.
The tree-shaded parks in front of the grand palace display exquisite marble statues, including a gigantic 1903 sculpture of Queen Victoria by British sculptor Francis Derwent Wood.
Sheesh Mahal particularly looks exotic in the nights in its rich sparkling splendour with its glittering lake in the moonlight adding to its mysterious charm.
The Interiors of the Palace
Palace of Mirrors
One part of Sheesh Mahal is embellished with sparkling colored glass and intricate mirror work known as the Palace of Mirrors beautified with its glimmering color-hued delicate mirror work, exotic murals with floral artwork garnishing the walls with the resplendent splendor of the glorious ancient Mughal era, a signature of by Maharaja Narinder Singh’s lavish taste, the pretty floral motifs painted on the walls, gripping story-telling murals on the walls and ceiling depicting tales from mythology, history and religion. Maharaja Narinder Singh employed great artistic painters from Rajasthan and Kangra to paint the murals.
The painters depicted the vision of Bihari, Surdas, and Keshav in poetic form and in colors. The paintings of these artists illustrate the very old tales and charming stories in Rajasthani style and also share some of North India’s best classical poetry, especially that of masters like Surdas, Keshav Das, and Bihari Lal.
Museum in the Sheesh Mahal
There is a museum in the Sheesh Mahal where there are paintings of Jaya Devaâ’s poetry and Geet Govinda. The Kangra paintings on the walls of the museum show the Krishan Lila in a very artistic way. There is a magnificient gallery of grand Tibetan sculpture, Punjabi ivory work objects, carved wooden furniture, superb Kashmiri and Burmese carved items, portraits of royal kings and rulers, unique manuscripts like the Jain manuscript, and Janamsakhi manuscripts can also be found inside the museum. . The collection of these artworks reveals the luxurious lifestyle of Maharajas. There are Jain manuscripts, Janamsakshi manuscripts found in the museum.
The large portraits of maharajas beautify the walls of the museum.
The North zone culture center is situated in the sheesh Mahal and on 6th November 1985, our Prime Minister Late Shri. Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated this center.
A part of the old Moti Bagh Palace, Sheesh Mahal or ‘Palace of Mirrors’ is a complex full of frescoes, most of which were made under Maharaja Narinder Singh
A large part of the palace is adorned with glass and mirror work which gives this palace its name Sheesh Mahal or the palace of mirrors.
The miniatures in the Kangra style are one of the highlights of this palace as they depict Geet Govind which is an iconic poem by Jaidev. The palace is a galaxy of art and culture, displaying antique paintings, bronzes, sculptures, and portraits of the Maharajas of Patiala as well.
Intricate Murals On Palace Walls Telling History, Myth and Religious Stories
Gifted painters from Kangra and Rajasthan were employed to paint the walls of Sheesh Mahal with a labyrinth of images engraved on the palace walls, pertaining to literature, mythology, and legends. These paintings are the signature of the Raga-Ragni, Nayak-Nayika, and Bara-Masa, in Rajasthani style. The pivotal attractions of the Sheesh Mahal are the series of Kangra-style miniatures, depicting Geet Govind, an epic poem by Jaidev. The Kangra paintings, depict Lord Krishna Lila, and portray the superior level of delicate taste.
Medal Gallery
The rich medal collection of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and Maharaja Yadwinder Singh from over the globe lies in the museum of Sheesh Mahal. There are about 3200 medals collected from different countries of the world by Maharaja from 12 to 20th century. There is also a collection of coins of the 19th century. These coins show the history of different countries’ trade. The museum inside Sheesh Mahal is said to have the largest collection of medals in the world which were collected by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. His son, Maharaja Yadvindra Singh gifted the priceless collection to Punjab Government Museum. Some of the important medals seen here are The Order of the Grater (England, 1348 A.D), Golden Fleece (Austria, 1430 A.D), St. Andrews (Russia, 1688), and The Order of the Rising Sun (Japan). Besides the medals, there is also a rare collection of coins. This collection consists of a vast range from the punch-marked coins issued by the princely states in the 19th century.
Exhibitions and Cultural Programs Held Yearly in Sheesh Mahal
Every Year, a host of cultural programs and heritage festivals are organized in Sheesh Mahal opening a wonderful door to the world of literature and art and enabling all to display their rich heritage of culture in art, painting, clothes, and handiwork.
Highlights of Sheesh Mahal
. The walls and ceilings of Sheesh Mahal tell exciting old tales steeped in history, folklore, legends, mythology, and literature by the painters from Kangra and Rajasthan taking you back to another ancient world of glory. The miniatures in the Kangra style are one of the highlights of this palace as they depict Geet Govind which is an iconic poem by Jaidev.
A unique setting of a palace built in a forest that stands grandly near a shimmering lake with an ornate bridge across the lake, surrounded by pretty gardens, flowing fountains with the palace glowing on moonlit nights that add to its mysterious charm.
A part of the palace is embellished with glittering colored glass and intricate mirror work giving it its name Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors.
The museum inside Sheesh Mahal is said to have the largest collection of medals in the world collected by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh which were later gifted by his son to the Punjab Government.
The museum accommodates Jain manuscripts, Janamsakshi manuscripts, and Tibetan and Kashmiri arts and architectural objects.
Every year, a host of cultural programs and heritage festivals are organized in Sheesh Mahal inviting tourists and encouraging trade, arts, culture and literature in a broad expansive way enriching the lives of visitors with its experience of excellence.
Try to Visit Sheesh Mahal!
Plan a trip to Patiala, Punjab, and visit the Sheesh Mahal and be charmed with its ancient glory lost in its tales of old stories. This visit with enchant you with a memory for a lifetime!
Which is the Best Season to Visit
Winter season is the said to be the best time to visit Sheesh Mahal in Patiala during the months of October to February as the weather is cool and pleasant ranging between 8 degrees to 23 degrees Celsius. Carry warm clothes when traveling to Patiala during winter.
How to Reach Sheesh Mahal
If you want to travel to Sheesh Mahal in Patiala, you can find the region easily on Google maps. You will find the Old Moti Bagh area in Patiala easily accessible by road. Almost all the major cities of India are well connected by roads, trains, and flights, thus easy to get to Sheesh Mahal in Patiala by different modes of transport. Below is a list of various modes of transport which one can choose to get to Sheesh Mahal in Patiala from Delhi.
By air: On flying to Patiala from Delhi, one needs to travel to Chandigarh by flight and then take a bus from Chandigarh to travel to Patiala or can catch a regular flight from Delhi – Amritsar or Delhi – Chandigarh and hire a taxi to reach Patiala. It can be a bit cumbersome as there is no direct flight from Delhi to Patiala.
By train: Trains like Dli Fka Express, UA Toofan Express run from Delhi to Patiala. There are many trains that link Patiala to different towns and cities excluding – Ferozpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh. Once you are there, you can take a taxi and reach there. It will approximately take 4 hours 20 minutes to travel to Patiala from Delhi. After reaching Patiala, one can take a taxi or rickshaw to reach Sheesh Mahal. This is surmised to be the best way to travel to Patiala from Delhi
By bus: There is no direct bus route between Patiala and Delhi. In order to travel to Patiala from Delhi by bus, one needs to take a bus to Ambala Cantt first and then take a taxi or another bus from Ambala Cantt to reach Patiala which will approximately take 1 hour.
Of note, Patiala lies on the main highway of Punjab’s road network, and so is linked to numerous deluxe and ordinary bus services that operate daily.
Entrance Fee to Sheesh Mahal: Free
Sheesh Mahal in Patiala timings: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Keep the Sheesh Mahal in Patiala map handy in hand to save yourself from getting lost in any maze of confusion. All the best! There’s just something about Sheesh Mahal!
Rita
Update: Patiala’s Sheesh Mahal Lake is to be rejuvenated soon.
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