The Hall of Flowers

Inside the oyster of Mehrangarh is the pearl called Phool Mahal: the Hall of Flowers. Originally built in the mid 19-the century by Abhay Singh, the paintings that we see today come from the 19th century re-decoration carried out by Takhat Singh. I was blown away by the exquisite paintings and the colours of the audience hall.

Phool Mahal and its outer passage

Gilded balustrades surround the hall

The roof of Phool Mahal

Royal portraits in the upper panel below the ceiling

Phool Mahal and its arches

Royal portraits and flowers

The passage ceiling around Phool Mahal

The flowers of Phool Mahal

The windows of Phool Mahal

Pictures of the ragas in the lower panel below the ceiling

The central court surrounded by gilded balusters and flutings are derived from the Mughal style of Shah Jehan’s era. The outer part, including the jaali and windows are typical of Marwar. Just below the gilded ceiling is a panel with royal portraits which runs all around the hall. This means that the room was probably used as a private audience hall for the raja to confer formally with ministers and local landholders. Below that is a series of raga mala paintings which use the iconography which had been standardized by the 19th century. This signifies that the place could have also been used for musical performances and less serious business of state.