Heritage of royalty

Oct 27, 2012 - Age Correspondent

When you think of royal families in India, the Gaekwads figure prominently. And their abode, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara figures even more so among the royal residences of note in the country. Built by Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III in the late 19th century, the structure holds true to every extravagant notion you might have about a palace, being at the same time, ornate, elegant and gracious.

The palace is notable for being four times the size of the Buckingham Palace and is set amid 700 acres of beautifully manicured grounds, landscaped by a specialist from the Kew Gardens, William Goldring. It was also one of the oldest (and most eminent) structures in the country to have an elevator at a time when they weren’t commonplace.
Perhaps the most beautiful part of the Lakshmi Vilas Palace is its durbar hall. Its floors were laid with Venetian mosaic tiles, the windows with stained glass brought especially from Belgium. Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma adorn the walls of the palace, making a visit here, truly a trip into a royal past.

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