Moti Bagh Palace

Moti Bagh Palace is a palace in Patiala, also known as Pearl Garden Palace.^[3] The word "Moti" means "pearl", and "Bagh" means "garden".^[4] The palace was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh, the great-grandfather of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, in 1847,^[5] at a cost of half a million rupees.^[6] The Old Moti Bagh Palace and New Moti Bagh Palace were built respectively by Maharaja Narinder Singh (reigned 1845–62) and Maharaja Yadavindra Singh (reigned 1938-47).^[7][8]

Moti Bagh Palace
The Old Moti Bagh Palace
Type	royal palace
Location	Patiala, Punjab, India[1]
Built	1847[2]
Original use	Residence of the Maharaja of Patiala
Current use	Headquarters of the North Zone Cultural Centre; Office of the National Institute of Sports; museum.
Architectural style(s)	Sikh architecture

The Old Palace is one of the largest residencies in Asia,^[9] housing the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) currently.^[10][11] And the New Moti Bagh Palace is the residence of Former Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh currently.^[12]

History

It was expanded in 1920s under the supervision of Sir Ganga Ram during the reign of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh. After independence, the Government of India took over the premises, and later converted it into a museum, a taxidermy gallery, and the North Zone Cultural Centre.^{[citation needed]}

The National Institute of Sports (NIS) Patiala is situated in its East wing,^[13] where the annual Patiala Heritage festival is celebrated.

The New Moti Bagh Palace

There is another building, called the New Moti Bagh Palace, built in 1959,^[14] that is residence of Amarinder Singh.^[15]

Architecture

The Palace incorporates Indian and European architectural features.^[16]

Gallery

• 
  Detail of the entrance of Moti Bagh Palace from an album of photographs compiled by the wife of H.R. Hunter during his time as Dental Surgeon at Moti Bagh Palace during the reign of Maharajah Bhupinder Singh, c. 1922–23
• 
  Detail of the entrance of Moti Bagh Palace from an album of photographs compiled by the wife of H.R. Hunter during his time as Dental Surgeon at Moti Bagh Palace during the reign of Maharajah Bhupinder Singh, c. 1922–23

References

1. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: India. DK Publishing. 1 September 2011. pp. 802–. ISBN 978-0-7566-8444-0.
2. The Sikh Courier. Sikh Cultural Society of Great Britain. 1977.
3. K. Natwar-Singh (1998). The magnificent maharaja. Harper-Collins Publishers, India. ISBN 978-81-7223-289-4.
4. Yvonne Alice Gertrude Fitz Roy; Yvonne Fitzroy (1926). Courts and Camps in India: Impressions of Viceregal Tours, 1921-1924. Methuen.
5. Manjit Singh (1992). Political Socialization of Students. Deep & Deep Publications. ISBN 9788171004041.
6. Jaspreet Kaur Sandhu (2000). Sikh ethos: eighteenth century perspective. Vision & Venture. ISBN 978-81-86769-12-6.
7. Gupta, Trisha (10 September 2014). "A royal stay in a palace in Patiala". Outlook (Indian magazine).
8. Outlook Publishing (November 2008). Outlook Traveller. Outlook Publishing. pp. 20–.
9. George Michell; Philip H. Davies (1989). The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India: Islamic, Rajput, European. Viking. ISBN 9780670808472.
10. Disvoer Punajb. Parminder Singh Grover. pp. 146–. GGKEY:LDGC4W6XWEX.
11. High Definition Books. UGC-NET/SET: Physical Education (Paper II & III) JRF and Assistant Professor Exam Guide: UGC NET Physical education. High Definition Books. pp. 158–. GGKEY:UA1T1393YEU.
12. Vishal Rambani.Holi, Diwali come together at New Moti Bagh palace in Patiala.Hindustan Times Mar 12, 2017.
13. "About us". National Institute of Sports. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
14. George Michell; Philip H. Davies (1989). Guide to Monuments of India 2: 2islamic, Rajput, European. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-80847-2.
15. Mohinder Singh (1 January 2001). Punjab 2000: political and socio-economic developments. Anamika Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 978-81-86565-90-2.
16. Jane Shadel Spillman (2006). European glass furnishings for Eastern palaces. Corning Museum of Glass. ISBN 9780872901636.

External links

• Article at the Punjab Tourism website