Diggi Palace is an Indian royal palace located in Jaipur, Rajasthan. [1] [2] It was converted into a heritage hotel, but a part is still occupied by the royal family, which also runs the hotel. [3] The annual Jaipur Literature Festival has been held here since 2006. [4] [5]
The former haveli belongs to the Thakurs (Khangarot Rajputs) of Diggi, a thikana or estate 75 km south-west from Jaipur, earlier part of the Jaipur state. [6] Each of the thakurs since its construction in 1860s, added to the present structure, which in 1991 was partly converted to a heritage hotel by the present owners Thakur Ram Pratap Singh Diggi and his wife, Jyotika Kumari Diggi. [7] The history of Diggi Palace takes us to a journey back in the 19th century. Diggi Palace was built in 1860 by Shri Thakur Saheb Pratap Singh Ji Diggi of the then ruling family of Diggi principality presiding in the grand Diggi Fort. Going further down the years, the town of Jaipur was built in 9 squares. Diggi Palace occupied the space of present-day 'Albert Hall Museum' but was later shifted to its current location. In 1991, the palace was converted to a heritage hotel and was made open for public.
The Diggi Palace exemplifies Rajasthani Haveli design, with multiple interconnected blocks organized around courtyards. According to Architectural Digest, the 19th-century palace "is not just home to ornate courtyards, darbars [audience halls] and expansive lush gardens". [8] The complex covers roughly 18 acres in central Jaipur and includes numerous pillared reception rooms, arched gateways and landscaped gardens. [9] Local reports note that the architecture "reflects the country’s history, culture and tradition," with fresco-decorated doorways and traditional Rajasthani motifs throughout. [8]