Deeg is located 22 miles north of Bharatpur. This small town, far off the tourist trail, contains an exquisite pleasure palace that must be seen. However, the palace is in much disrepair for the same reason--it's off the tourist trail and therefore, low on the priority list. Upon our arrival at the gate, we were put off by the hefty admission price--$5 (American) for foreigners, (5 Rs for Indians)--the highest we'd seen during our visit. However, we decided to go in anyway, and we were not disappointed. The palaces were well worth the $5 entrance fee.
The pleasure palaces are set around formal Mughal gardens and are considered by some to be second only to the Taj Mahal in their beauty and symmetry. What made this place interesting for us was the fact that the Bharatpur royal family lived here until 1951. Inside you can still see their furniture and objects d'art. A far cry from the other palaces we had visited that were stripped of their furnishings and art. This place seemed more "real"--although the furnishings are, sadly, badly deteriorated.
The palaces were built in the mid 1700s as a place of refuge from the battles the Bharatpur rulers were constantly engaged in. The pavilions mirror the architectural traditions of the Mughals, with drooping eaves, water channels, gardens, and carved archways. Inside, the walls are embellished with carved motifs of flowers and peacocks.
This exotic setting was used for the film Siddharha which was based on Herman Hesse's novel. Additional scenes in the film were made at Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary near Bharatpur.

About some of the images pictured below
Keshav Bhavan: This pavillion overlooks the Rup Sagar Tank. Heavy balls were placed on the roof. Water was forced up through pipes inside hollow pillars inside the arches causing the balls on the roof to roll around, producing the sound of thunder.
Gopal Bhavan: The Gopal Bhavan complex contains the family apartments. Here we look out over the Gopal Sagar Tank from one of the bedrooms. The Sawan Pavillion is shaped like an upturned boat. It's ingenious water system created a semi-circle of falling water.
Kishan Bhavan: Huge terricotta water pitchers placed inside its double roof insulated the interior rooms from the summer heat.
Inlaid semi-precious stones: Inlaid flower patterns adorn the walls and floors of the zenana. Unfortunately, many of these semi-precious stones have been gouged out, leaving ugly scars where flowers and butterflys once adorned the walls. I was able to find a couple of intact inlays to photograph.

Click on the links below to see a larger view of each photograph.