Umed Bhawan Palace, Kota: Swinton Jacob's Royal Residence

Umed Bhawan Palace is one of Kota’s most imposing 20th-century royal residences, a grand pile of carved sandstone and colonnaded facades that marries Rajput craftsmanship with the Indo-Saracenic and colonial tastes of its age. Set in sprawling gardens, it was built as a residence for the Kota Maharao and still exudes the confidence of the late princely era.

Its interiors are rich with hunting trophies, period furniture, chandeliers and photographs of durbars and shikar, reflecting the lifestyle of Kota’s rulers in the early decades of the last century. Parts of the estate operate as a heritage property, allowing visitors a glimpse of this later chapter of royal history.

For travellers charting the arc of Kota’s royalty, from the medieval Garh Palace to this Edwardian-era grandeur, Umed Bhawan is an essential stop and a striking example of the region’s evolving palace architecture.

History of Umed Bhawan Palace

The palace was completed in the early 1900s for Maharao Umed Singh II and was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, the engineer-architect behind many Indo-Saracenic buildings in Rajasthan.

Named after Maharao Umed Singh II, who ruled from 1889 to 1940, it belongs to a period when Indian princes commissioned grand residences blending Indian and Western styles. Our rulers of Kota page places Umed Singh II’s long reign in context.

Designed on a lavish scale with landscaped grounds, it served as a royal residence and hosted the ceremonial and social life of the Kota state in the decades before independence, later finding new life as a heritage property.

Where the Rajasthan Union was born

The palace’s most important day in modern history was 25 March 1948. According to the History of Rajasthan article on Wikipedia, the rulers of Banswara, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kishangarh, Kota, Pratapgarh, Shahpura and Tonk met at Umed Bhawan and joined their states in the Rajasthan Union, the second of the seven stages that created the state of Rajasthan. Kota’s Maharao Bhim Singh II became its first Rajpramukh. Within weeks Udaipur joined and the union grew into the United State of Rajasthan. Our page on the Rajasthan Union of 1948 tells the story stage by stage.

What to see at Umed Bhawan Palace

• Grand early-20th-century royal palace
• Indo-Saracenic and colonial architecture
• Trophies, chandeliers and period interiors
• Sprawling landscaped gardens
• A later chapter of Kota’s royal story

Visiting Umed Bhawan Palace: practical details

Detail	Information
Where	Kota city
Distance from Kota	About 4 km
Best time to visit	October to March
Timings	Accessible as a heritage property; visits by arrangement
Entry	Varies; heritage-property charges may apply
Getting there	About 4 km from the city centre; reachable by auto or taxi.

Distances are approximate road distances. Timings and entry charges change from season to season, so confirm them locally or with the district tourist office before you set out.

Combine Umed Bhawan Palace with nearby places

• Brijraj Bhawan Palace: An elegant riverside palace, once a British Residency and royal guesthouse, now a heritage hotel overlooking the Chambal.
• Garh Palace: A vast fortified palace complex beside the Chambal River, home to the Rao Madho Singh Museum and some of Rajasthan’s finest miniature murals.
• Kota Chambal Riverfront: A grand, kilometres-long riverfront along the Chambal, opened in 2023, promoted by its builders as the world’s largest and lined with monumental stone art.
• Chhatra Vilas Garden: A historic city garden laid out by the Kota rulers, with fountains, cenotaphs, shaded walks and a small zoo nearby.