Where Is The Deeg Palace?
A beautiful Indian palace and a significant historical site, the Deeg Palace is located just 32 km from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India. The palace was built in 1772 to serve as the luxurious summer resort of the Bharatpur State’s rulers and was in an active state till 1972 before being converted into a museum and heritage site open to tourists.
History Of The Deeg Palace
Deeg, the site of the Deeg Palace was once the capital of the Jat rulers of Rajasthan who later shifted their capital to Bharatpur. Due to the nearness of Deeg to Agra, a stronghold of the Mughal rulers, Deeg faced a series of invasions through the years. The ruler Badan Singh built a palace here after coming to throne in 1721. His son, Suraj Mal later commissioned the construction of a fortress with high walls and a deep moat around the palace to keep the palace safe.
Deeg was the site of a legendary battle that was fought between the Jat forces led by Suraj Mal and the combined Mughal and Maratha forces. Miraculously, Suraj Mal won the battle against the strong forces of his enemies. The victory raised the ambitions of the Jat ruler and he started making forays into enemy territory. He was hugely successful in his attempts and eight years later, even managed to capture the Red Fort at Delhi, a Mughal stronghold.
He ravaged the Red Fort and carried away masses of valuable from the fort . He even carried the parts of an entire marble building with him which was dismantled and numbered. Later, the marble parts were reconstructed and integrated into the Deeg Palace’s structure.
Architecture Of The Deeg Palace
The palace features filigreed gates, ornate beams, marble jaalis, stone slabs, and other features which lend beauty to the entire complex.
Wonders Of The Deeg Palace
The Deeg Palace holds wonders at every corner. The place is less visited by tourists and is yet to realize its full tourist potential. However, as you tour the entire place, you will understand that it is no less an amazing heritage site than the other more well-known palaces and forts of India. Every corner of this palace has rich history and only your guide will be able to inform you about the true facts related to the place.
One of the wonders of the palace is a fine marble swing believed to have belonged to Nur Jahan, the most beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The swing was possibly brought to the palace as a war trophy.
Another wonder which you have see to believe is the Keshav Bhavan. The architecture of the structure and the purpose it served would definitely amaze you. You will understand the true definition of luxury and aesthetic architecture.
The Keshav Bhawan is the monsoon pavilion of the palace. The single-storied structure lies on an octagonal base next to the Rup Sagar tank. Imagine yourself engaged in leisurely activities in a room with no walls but a ceiling, and rainwater pouring down forming a curtain of falling water all around your room. How relaxing that would have been!
The Keshav Bhawan was designed to give its pleasure seekers the same experience. Only here, the rain was created artificially by a system of canals, pumps, fountains, and other arrangements around the sitting area of the Keshav Bhavan. It is difficult to explain this architectural wonder in writing for a layman like me, but you must go there to see it!
The entire arrangement gave those inside a feeling of the monsoon time when actually it was parched dry and hot outside. Even the thunder associated with the heavy rains was mimicked by placing hundreds of metal balls strategically so that they were set rolling by water pressure and created a thunder-like sound.
Also, you will get to see how the parts of the building taken by Suraj Mal from the Red Fort have been successfully integrated into the structure of the Deeg Palace so that it never looks out of place.
There is also a large cage where a massive tiger was kept to instill fear in those visiting the palace with wicked thoughts.
You will also get to see scores of Salim Ali’s fruit bats hanging from the trees in the Deeg Palace, a sight which in no way is related to the place’s history, but still is no less a little wonder awaiting you.
Best Time To Visit The Deeg Palace
The summers (March to June) in Rajasthan are unbearably hot and are best avoided. Winter months (December to February) are the best time to visit the Deeg Palace. September to November also witnesses a significant flow of tourists, but days might be slightly hot during this time.
How To Visit The Deeg Palace?
Delhi to Deeg Palace: The Deeg Palace is 222 km from Delhi and it takes about 4 h 11 min to reach the place.
Bharatpur to Deeg Palace: For those visiting Bharatpur for the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary, Deeg Palace can be included in a half-day sight-seeing itinerary. It is only about an hour away from Bharatpur (35.3 km)
Alwar to Deeg Palace: Deeg Palace can be reached from another tourist destination, Alwar. It is about 74 km away from Alwar and can be reached by a drive of 1 hour 38 minutes.
Agra to Deeg Palace: It takes about 2 hour 15 min to reach Deeg Palace from Agra (92.6km).
Where To Stay At The Deeg Palace?
To visit the Deeg Palace, you can stay in any of the many hotels in Bharatpur, Alwar, or Agra, whichever maybe your base location. We stayed at the Laxmi Vilas Palace, a luxurious heritage hotel in Bharatpur and our guide and car to visit the Deeg Palace was arranged by the hotel itself.
Expert Guide At The Deeg Palace
Since the Deeg Palace receives less visitors than other tourist destinations in Rajasthan, finding quality guides to show you around is an issue. However, the palace is worth exploring and full of wonders that you will never come to know without the knowledgeable narration by an expert guide. Luckily, the hotel where we stayed in Bharatpur suggested a guide who travelled with us to the site and guided us through the Deeg Palace. He returned on his own since we had to proceed towards another destination.
If you visit the Deeg Palace, I would suggest you call him and ask him to guide you through the Deeg Palace. He is an erudite history scholar himself and thus he was able to give us accurate information on the historical sites we visited by him which also included the Fatehpur Sikri. Moreover, his knowledge on local wildlife is also fantastic. Altogether, he was a very pleasant person and we had long chats with him on history and wildlife. He also charged reasonably and we were happy to pay the fees for a guide of his expertise.
I am sharing his details here:
Peeush Sharma
Contact No: +91 8441959635
Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
Places In And Around The Deeg Palace
There are numerous tourist destinations around the Deeg Palace. The Word Heritage Sites of the Taj Mahal in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri are about a couple hours from the site. Another World Heritage Site, the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur is also only an hour away. In the historical town of Alwar, you will find several heritage buildings, forts, palaces, and more. From Alwar, you can also visit the Sariska National Park and the haunted fort of Bhangarh.
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