Palace of Putangitangi: Difference between revisions
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The Eastern Palace contains the royal apartments and living quarters for courtiers. It includes private amenities for the Emperor and royal family as well as areas for entertaining guests and hosting small gatherings. The Eastern Palace is connected perpendicular to the Central Palace. The Eastern Palace is made for comfort and includes the functional facilities such as laundry, bakery, kitchen and other amenities. The Eastern Palace is closer to the public all year round. It has some prominent rooms such as the Hall of Gifts, where gifts to the monarch such as paintings, porcelain and ceramic vases and crockery, tapestries, and statues are kept. Not all gifts have been put on display and most are in storage for much of the year. Some gifts are displayed by the Serene Museum in the Central Palace.
Administrative Building is located adjacent to the Eastern Building and is also closed to the public. The Administrative Building houses the security, information technology infrastructure and administration required by the monarchy. The building contains mostly offices, boardrooms and facilities for staff such as changing rooms, tea rooms and a cafeteria. This building is entirely functional and was built by Emperor Tamatea III as the Central Palace was getting cramped. It is built in a Polynesian adaptation of the modernist style such as the use of Polynesian art and use of foliage and water features.
The Shrine of Ahua the Great is a shrine named after all Emperors. It sits atop the underground Serene Tomb which contains the cremated remains of members of the Serene Family including former Emperors. The Shrine is managed by Mauist priests and monks. They administer daily prayers, sacrifices and light incense, and other religious rituals. They also maintain the Serene Tomb. Members of the public and royal family visit the Shrine to pay their respects to departed royals. Nevertheless, only members of the Serene Family are allowed inside the Tomb without special permission. It holds sacred artefacts such as the shrunken head of Ahua the Great, ancient texts from the founding of Mauism and other paraphenalia. This Shrine is a major site of pilgrimage among believers in the Mauist religion.
==Gardens==
The Serene Gardens are the personal garden of the monarch and are only open to the public once a week. The Serene Gardens span 20 hectares (49.2 acres).
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