Celebrations at Deeg Palace, with its wonderful mix of Mughal and Rajasthani architecture, were the highlight of a colourful two-day Braj Holi festival organised by Rajasthan Tourism here this weekend.
The palace was built in 1772 as a luxurious summer resort for the rulers of Bharatpur. It had been in use till the early 1970s, when it was taken over by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and is now preserved as a monument,
The palace is home to 800 fountains, some inside the spacious rooms. Those that are still functional are turned on to spout coloured water for occasions such as Holi. Small cloth pouches with organic colours are manually inserted into the holes in the reservoir wall.
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When the water flows out through them passing along an intricate network of pipelines, the inter-connected fountains come alive.
“The fountains can run for a couple of hours when at least 40 kg of colour is used and 20 men work at a given point to put colour bags in the holes,” explained Ashok Sharma, ASI supervisor at the palace.
The spray of water from the fountains and the jets creates a monsoon-like ambience, which is enhanced further by sound effects of thunder around the pavilion.
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Rajasthan Tourism held events at Bharatpur, Deeg and Kaman to celebrate Holi.
The district administration also conducted a nature walk for children and a photography exhibition at Keoladeo National Park. Rajasthani folk artistes performed traditional dances.