The City Palace Preface

Rai Angan

Rai Angan is the earliest Royal courtyard of The City Palace, Udaipur. It was built by Maharana Udai Singh II (r.1536-1572 CE) in the 16th century. Rai Angan is on the second floor where Maharana Udai Singh started building the Palace on the top of the hill in 1559 after the foundation of the city of Udaipur was laid in 1553 on advise of Goswami Prem Giriji Maharaj. It is the most important area of The Mardana Mahal. It is the ceremonial courtyard where the Maharanas were anointed as rulers of Mewar. It is an ornate courtyard with Nav Chowki (Nine Section) Mahal on the west, where Maharana Udai Singh first met the ascetic

The fire-pit of the hermit is still maintained in this room. Formerly the coronation ceremony of the rulers used to be held in Rai Angan. The historic text Veer Vinod (1884) mentions the initial temporary usage of the courtyard as a Zenana which was converted into the Mardana by Maharana Karan Singh (r. 1620-1628 CE) in 1620. The first coronation ceremony of the Mewar rulers took place in this courtyard, a ritual that has been followed for centuries. At present, it is the first courtyard to be entered in the City Palace Museum. Veer Vinod also records that the term 'Rai Angan' for this space came to be used from around early 18th century in Maharana Sangram Singh's II (r. 1710 - 1734 CE) time, which later became the normal connotation for this courtyard.

This courtyard is one of the most significant spaces in terms of historical, cultural and architectural importance. All the construction in Rai Angan is of typical Hindu temple architecture and a distinctive style of Mewar with level beams, brackets and square shaped columns of massive strength.

Nikah ki Chopad on the eastern side was used for royal residence by Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharana Amar Singh I (r. 1597 - 1520 CE) even this place was also used for justice administration in the reign of Maharana Udai Singh II. The two rooms on both the side of the veranda of Nikah ki Chopad were used as storeroom; Pandeji-ki-Ori (ornaments room), and Sej-ki-Ori (Wardrobe room), now housing Pratap Gallery 1 and 2. In the middle, housing Haldighati gallery, it was the residence of Maharana Udai Singh II and later used as Daulat Khana, state treasury. The floor signifies the standard pattern of Mewar which is square slabs of black and white marble.

Title: Dhuni Mata Shrine, Rai Angan, The City Palace, Udaipur.
Photographer: K. L. Syed & Co
Process: Gelatine silver print
Period: c. 1930- 1950,
Accession No. 2009.10.0166-00015

Water Color Painting: Anurag Mehta, Udaipur, Watercolour on paper, c. 2019, AM2019.T.0018

Present New Photograph by: Prashant Lohar, Udaipur, Colour digital print, May 2019, PL2019.T.0018