SHEESH MAHAL IN PATIALA

The Sheesh Mahal or the `Palace of Mirrors` in Patiala (Punjab) was built by Maharaja Narinder Singh in 1845 behind the main Moti Bagh Palace. The Palace was built in a forest with terraces, gardens, fountains and an artificial lake. The lake has two watchtowers in the north and the south, and is connected to the Banasar Ghar, a storehouse for stuffed animals. The Sheesh Mahal, which was a residential palace, has a suspension bridge that is a copy of the Lakshman Jhoola at Rishikesh. A telling tribute to the days of the colorful Maharajas of Patiala, the Sheesh Mahal is part of the Qila Mubarak. Similar well-known rooms called "Sheesh Mahal" are also found in the palace of the Agra Fort, the Amber Fort of Jaipur, and the Harimandir Sahib.

History
The then Maharaja of Patiala, Narendra Singh, built the Sheesh Mahal in 1847, and his much-admired aesthetic sense governed the design and decoration of this stunning palace to a substantial extent. The Sheesh Mahal`s greatest treasures are its excellent museum, a fine collection of antiques, which gives a fabulous insight into the life, and times of Maharajas of Patiala. The huge range of artifacts on display run the area from costumes and jewellery to portraits, Chinese mirrors, statues, engravings, utensils, weaponry and more. Besides artifacts pertaining to Patiala itself, there are objects from rest of India as well. Foremost among the galleries of the museum is the Medal Gallery, an awesome collection of more than 3,000 medals and coins from across the world, dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries.