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The term
Maharaja Palace actually refers to a series of palaces in Vadodara,
Gujarat, India, constructed since the Gaekwad a prominent Maratha family
started ruling the Baroda State.
The first
one was a building known as the Sarkar Wada. This building, not really a
palace, was given up for the Nazarbaug Palace built in old classical
style.
After this the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, an extravagant building of the
Indo-Saracenic school, was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in
1890 at a cost of GBP180,000. Major Charles Mant was the architect.
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Overview
It is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built till date
and four times the size of Buckingham Palace. At the time of
construction it boasted the most modern amenities such as elevators and
the interior is reminiscent of a large European country house. It
remains the residence of the Royal Family, who continue to be held in
high esteem by the residents of Baroda.
Its ornate Darbar Hall, which is sometimes the venue of music concerts
and other cultural events, has a Venetian mosaic floor, Belgium stained
glass windows and walls with intricate mosaic decorations. Outside of
the Darbar Hall is an Italinate courtyard of water fountains. The palace
houses a remarkable collection of old armoury and sculptures in bronze,
marble & terracotta by Fellici. The grounds were landscaped by William
Goldring, a specialist from Kew Gardens. The palace is open to the
public and an audio tour is available.
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The
Palace "compound" covers over 700 acres (2.8 km2) and houses a
number of buildings, particularly the Moti Baug Palace and the
Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum building. Adjacent to the Motibaug
Palace and the Museum is the Moti Bagh Cricket Ground, the offices
of the Baroda Cricket Association, and a very rare indoor teak
floored tennis court and badminton court (where the All India
Badminton Championships were previously held). There are also two
clay tennis courts plus a derelict fives court.
The Museum building was constructed as a school for the Maharaja's
children. Today a large number of works of art belonging to the
Royal family have been displayed in the museum. |
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The most
remarkable of these is the fabulous collection of the paintings of Raja
Ravi Varma, who was specially commissioned by the then Maharaja of
Baroda. The collection includes portraits of the Royal family in
addition to the paintings based on Hindu mythology for which Raja Ravi
Varma was famous.
The Maharaja constructed a miniature railway line, which circled the
mango orchard within the palace compound, to take his children from the
school to the main Lakshmi Vilas Palace. The train engine was recently
refurbished by Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad, who was the maharaja
during the time, and can be seen at the entrance to the Museum.
The palace also boasted a small zoo. The only remnant of the zoo is the
pond where a number of crocodiles remain. The Navlakhi (literally
meaning "of nine hundred thousand") Well, a fine 'baoli' or step well,
is 50 metres north of the palace.
In the 1930s Maharaja Pratapsinh created a golf course for use by his
European guests. In the 1990s Pratapsinh's grandson Samarjitsinh, a
former Ranji trophy cricket player, renovated the course and opened it
to the public. The course was expanded in 2004 into a beautiful course
managed by the Gaekwad Baroda Golf Club and now boasts over 300 members.
The Motibaug Palace is now the club house for the club, behind which are
a large new swimming pool designed by the renowned architect Karan
Grover, sauna and gym facilities. Packs of langoors & peacocks can be
spotted around the palace compound. The present management of the club
have used the old British spelling Lukshmi Vilas Palace instead of the
better known Lakshmi Vilas Palace.
Two other palaces in Vadodara were the Makarpura Palace, built on the
southern outskirts of Vadodara which now houses a defence installation
and Pratap Vilas Palace, which houses the prestigious Railway Staff
College of India.
Sources: Wikipedia
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