Sheesh Mahal, Patiala

Sheesh Mahal ('Palace of Mirrors'), in Patiala, was built as a royal residence distinct from the older Qila Mubarak fort, its interiors once elaborately decorated with mirror work and frescoes reflecting the wealth and artistic patronage of Patiala's later maharajas. The palace grounds today house a small museum and lake, and while some of the original mirror decoration has faded or been lost, the building's scale and setting still convey a strong sense of its former royal grandeur.

As a later, more purpose-built royal residence compared to the older, more defensively oriented Qila Mubarak, Sheesh Mahal reflects Patiala's evolving royal architectural ambitions through the 19th and early 20th centuries, moving toward more purely aesthetic and residential palace design.

Built during the reign of successive Patiala maharajas through the 19th century, Sheesh Mahal represented an evolution in the dynasty's royal architecture, moving from the older fortified Qila Mubarak toward more elaborately decorated, purpose-built palace residences.

In Patiala, near the Qila Mubarak fort complex.