The Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors in Patiala was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh , behind the main Moti Bagh Palace. The history of Sheesh Mahal is fascinating. The then Maharaja of Patiala, Narendra Singh, built the Sheesh Mahal in the year 1847. His immense aesthetic sense governed the design of this Sheesh Mahal. Now a day the Sheesh Mahal s greatest treasures are its excellent museum, housing a fine collection of antiques. these indeed gives a fabulous insight into the life, and times of Maharajas of Patiala. Besides artifacts pertaining to Patiala itself, there are objects from rest of India as well.
Posted On : 4/24/2009 2:58:22 AM
Chanda Munda Patnaik Reward Points : 19100 Member Since : Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Posted By : Darshil Jal daru khanewala Posted On : 4/24/2009 2:58:22 AM Go
The Sheesh Mahal or the Palace of Mirrors in Patiala was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh , behind t..
The Sheesh Mahal draws its name from the exquisitely designed glass and mirrorwork, which covers an entire section of the palace. Maharaja Narinder Singh was known to be a great patron of art and literature. He engaged great painters from Kangra and Rajasthan to paint the walls of the Sheesh Maha. A variety of images pertaining to literature, mythology and legends were therefore painted. The walls and ceilings of the Sheesh Mahal are rich in floral designs and its interior is a kaleidoscope of images and multi-coloured lights. Amongst the Sheesh Mahal s most highly recommended displays are a series of Kangra-style miniatures depicting the Geet Govind, an epic poem by Jaidev.
Posted On : 4/24/2009 4:45:57 AM
Indravadan Modi Reward Points : 23300 Member Since : Saturday, January 10, 2009
I remember my visit at Sheesh Mahal. We entered the Sheesh Mahal through a stairway from the wall which is at the west of the gateway of the Faridkot Fort. Sheesh Mahal is at the upperstorey of the gateway. The palace comprises a three-aisled hall attached to smaller rooms. The walls of the hall are adorned with panels of glass mosaic in innumerable patterns. geometrical as well as , vegetal designs adorn the walls. Convex glass mirror are significantly used to bring the effect of reflection. Interestingly, the glass mosaics are interspersed with floral and geometric designs.
Posted On : 4/25/2009 12:09:34 AM
Abhi Tripathi [Guru] Reward Points : 74900 Member Since : Monday, January 07, 2008
Sheesh Mahal was built in the reign of Maharaja Narinder Singh. Nestled amidst the forest with terraces, gardens, fountains and an artificial lake the sheeshmahal is a treat to the eye. Part of the three storied building is inset with pieces of reflecting mirrors. the large number of wall paintings depicts scenes from Bhagwat Puran and portraits of the Sikh Gurus. The palace has galleries displaying antique paintings, bronzes, sculptures and portraits of the Maharajas of Patiala. The highlight is the gallery which displays the world s largest collection of medals, decoration and orders of various countries.
Maharaja Narendra Singh was a great patron of literature, music and fine arts. He invited many painters from Kangra and Rajasthan to paint the walls of Sheesh Mahal. Their works depicting the vision in poetry of Keshav, Surdas and Bihari, both in line and colour, are a treat to the eye of the beholder. The themes of these paintings embrace mythology, legends, Raga-Ragni, Nayak-Nayika and Bara-masa in Rajasthani style. These walls and ceilings are also rich in floral designs. The interior casts a Kaleidoscope phantasmagoria of myriad images and multi-coloured lights. The museum has a rich collection of miniature paintings of the middle of 19th century. Themes of these paintings are based on the Geet Gobinda or Jaya Deva s poetry. The Kangra paintings depicting the, Krishan Lila reflect the highest professional and delicate taste. Paintings displaying the Raga-mala of the Rajasthan schools and that of the Mughal give a visual meaning to the Ragas. Besides miniature paintings, there are fine objects of Tibetan art particularly the sculpture of different kinds of metals. Ivory carvings of Punjab, royal wooden carved furniture, and a large number of Burmese and Kashmiri carved objects are also exhibited. One can see the huge portraits of the rulers of Patiala adorning the walls of museum hall. Some of the rare manuscripts can be seen here. Beside Janamsakhi and Jain manuscripts, the most valuable possession is the Gulistan-Bostan by Sheikh Sadi of Shiraz, which was acquired by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his personal library. Medal Gallery set up in the Sheesh Mahal has on display the largest number of medals and decorations in the world, numbering 3,200. Collected by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh from all over the world, his illustrious son Maharaja Yadvindra Singh gifted the entire priceless collection to the Punjab Government Museum. Among the most important, one may mention The Order of the Garter England of 1348 A.D., The Order of the Golden Fleece Austria founded in 1430 A.D. The Order of St. Andrews Russia founded in 1688 by Peter the Great The Order of the Rising Sun Japan and Order of the Double Dragon China and The Order of the White Elephant Thailand . The collection contains medals from Belgium, Denmark, Finland and host of other countries of Africa and Asia. On the advice of the Europeans, Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharaja Dalip Singh also issued medals which are studded with precious stones. Some of them display miniature paintings of the Maharaja in profile in the centre. Inspired by his hobby, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh instituted Orders and Decorations which carry portraits of Guru Gobind Singh, Radha Krishan etc. These medals reflect religion, culture and art of many countries in metal and are great sources of history. Besides medals, there is a rare collection of coins. This numismatic collection presents a vast range from the punch-marked coins to those issued by the princely states in the 19th century. It is a total numismatic history reflecting upon country s trade, commerce, science and metallurgy. The Sheesh Mahal was built behind the main Moti Bagh Palace to serve as a pleasure complex. As explained above, the Sheesh Mahal now houses a museum an art gallery, and also the North Zone Cultural Centre, set up by a society to preserve art.
Sheesh Mahal
