Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/212

 CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. BOOK VI. said to have existed anterior to the sack of the place by J Alau-d-Din in 1303. The so-called palace of Bhim and Padmini, which remains perhaps unaltered, is a comparatively modern structure but small, with arched openings. 1 The ruined palace of Kumbha Rana (A.D. 1418-1468) in the same place is more grandiose, and shows some of that beauty of detail which characterises his buildings in general. 2 The latter palace, of which Woodcut No. 359 represents the plan, may afford some idea of the arrangements of one of these residences. The principal entrance (A), known as the Suraj Pol or Sun-gate, leads into an open court, with a shed (B) for a rhinoceros and other rooms to the left of the gateway. Opposite the entrance is the Darikhana, behind which is the Suraj Gokhra (C), and to the right of it is an exit to (D) the Sringar- chauri Mandir or shrine. Along the wall from this are the stables (H), beside a shrine of Gane^a (E), which is close to the living apartments (F) of the palace, and near these is (G) the zanana. Outside this is a fortified wall (M,M), and a court separates the royal zanana from (I) that of the heir-apparent, of whose palace (K,K) it forms part. Connected with his rooms is (J) a mandir or shrine, and outside this residence is also a large court divided off from the royal palace court, in an enclosure in a corner of which is a ruined dwelling (N), whilst on the opposite side of the court is (L) a large cistern. The palaces at Chitor belonging to this dynasty were, how- ever, far surpassed, in extent at least, by those which Udaya- singh commenced at Udaypur, to which place he removed his capital after the third sack of Chitor by Akbar in 1568. It has not unfrequently been compared with the Castle at Windsor, and not inaptly, for both in outline and extent it is not unlike that palace, though differing so wonderfully in detail and in situation. 3 In this latter respect the Eastern has the advantage of the Western palace, as it stands on the verge of an extensive lake, surrounded by hills of great beauty of outline, and in the lake are two island palaces, the Jag-newas and Jag-mandir, which are more beautiful in their class than any similar objects I know of elsewhere. 4 It would be difficult to find any scene 1 A view of it is given in Tod's ' Raja- sthan,' vol. i. plate 267. Some parts have been misunderstood by the engraver, but on the whole it represents the build- ing fairly. A photograph is given on plate 20 of ' Scenery and Architecture in Gujarat and Rajputana.' a Two views of it are given in Rousselet, ' L'Inde des Rajahs,' pp. 232-233. 3 G. Le Bon's 'Monuments de 1'Inde,' figs. 135-137. 4 A view of one of these is given in Fergusson's ' Illustrations of Ancient Architecture in India, 3 plate 15. Other illustrations will be found in ' L'Inde des Rajahs,' at pp. 185 et seqq. ; and 'Scenery and Architecture in Gujarat and Rajputana,' plate 17.