The City of Kota, Rajasthan

	The City of Kota, Rajasthan
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The residential areas, bazaars, fort, City Palace and museum east of the Chambal face harsh buildings and factory smokestacks across the river. Kishor Sagar, an artificial lake built in 1346, gives picturesque relief.

The red and white palace in its centre, Jag Mandir , was commissioned by Prince Dher Deh of Bundi in 1346 and can be visited only with permission from the Superintendent Engineer of Kota; ask at the tourist office. Gardens to the north of the tank are lush with mango trees, dahlias and palms, and crocodiles and gharial sun themselves in a shallow pond in the Chambal Gardens on the edge of the river a few kilometers south of the fort.

In the Brijvilas Palace on the northern edge of the lake, the Government Museum (daily except Fri 10am-5pm; Rs2) has a small collection of clothes, weapons and miniature paintings and a fascinating hand-drawn plan of Kota's maneuvers during the Mutiny of 1857 that shows positions of defense and attack in minute detail.

Kota's fort , raised above the flat bank of the Chambal 2km south of the bus stand, was built in 1264 by Rajkumar Jait Singh of Bundi.

Construction of the City Palace and offices of state within the fortifications began in 1625, and continued sporadically until the early years of this century.

Although the older fort ramparts are falling into disrepair, the palaces are still in excellent condition. Apartments in the heart of the palaces house the excellent Maharao Madho Singh Museum (daily except Fri 11am-5pm; Rs50; Rs50 extra for camera, Rs75 extra for video).

Among a vast collection of carefully decorated weapons, the size and severity of which is out of this world, you'll see shields adorned with the solar symbol of the Hadachauhan Rajputs, large enough to protect an elephant. Solid silver artifacts and fading sepia photographs of viceroys, maharajas, polo teams and Queen Victoria record the extravagance of royalty, and there are some outstanding examples of Kota Kamba , miniatures from Kota's school of painting. The most spectacular apartment is Raj Mahal , which contains the royal throne.