Aina Mahal, 18th-century palace in Bhuj, India
Aina Mahal is a palace in Bhuj, India, known for its mirror work and European interior design. The rooms combine Venetian chandeliers with local craftsmanship, showing a mix of Western and regional design.
The builder Ram Singh Malam constructed the residence from 1750 for the Maharao, bringing architectural ideas from his European travels. Later rulers expanded the complex and added more halls.
The name Aina Mahal means "Palace of Mirrors". The Hira Mahal bedchamber is hung with Kutchi silk aari embroidery panels, and the Fuvara Mahal pool chamber has Chinese-influenced 18th-century glass paintings. A 15 m scroll painting dated 1876, signed by Vadha Juma Ibrahim, shows a royal procession of Maharao Pragmalji II.
The museum occupies two floors of the palace, with the first floor holding the Hall of Mirrors, Hira Mahal and Fuvara Mahal and an exterior staircase leading to the second-floor court halls. The building was damaged in the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and only part of it was restored as the Aina Mahal Trust Museum, so some areas may be closed.
The Fuvara Mahal, the pleasure hall on the first floor, is built around a pool with a raised square platform reached by narrow aisles on three sides; siphons and pumps filled it, and fountains sprayed patterns of water to cool the air while the Maharao held court on the platform.
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