Palaces, Vadodara

The Lakshmi Vilas Palace

This palace was built during the time of Maharaja Sayajirao in 1890 and he had appointed Major Charles Mant for the construction of the Palace; the work was later completed by R.F. Chisolm. Built according to the Indo-Saracenic tradition the architectural style of this palace is a fusion of Indian, Islamic and European elements.

The mosaic tile, multi-coloured marble, numerous art works, courtyards full of palms and fountains on the entrance ways are some architectural features to be enjoyed while visiting the palace. In those days itself this palace had modern facilities like elevators.

The Darbar Hall with its formidable collection of sculptures in bronze, marble & terracotta by Fellicci and landscaped gardens done by William Goldring can be any tourist's delight. The Moti Baug Palace and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum within the premises of the Palace are also worth seeing.

Adjacent to Moti Baug Palace is the Moti Baug Cricket ground which also has a rare indoor teak floored tennis court and badminton court. The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum has a huge collection of Raja Ravi Verma's paintings those which were especially commissioned by the Maharaja.

The museum also has Japanese, Chinese and Italian sculptures made in marble and bronze. The Chinese and Japanese sculptures were collected by the Maharaja from the subsequent countries and the Italian sculptures were commissioned to Italian Sculptor Fellicci. For visiting the palace prior permission from the Maharaja’s secretary in the palace office is required.

The Nazarbaugh Palace

Made of white-stucco, the Nazarbaugh Palace was the guest house of the royal family. It now houses the inheritances of the royal family. This palace was built in 1721 and has solid gold and silver guns inside the palace. This palace has the jewels of the Gaekwad royal family, including the Star of the South diamond necklace.

Clothes embroidered with precious stones and seed pearls are also there as a part of the collection.

The Makarpura Palace

This is the summer palace of the royal family, and was built by Maharaja Khende Rao in 1870 in Italian style, later renovated by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III and presently used by the Indian Air Force for training purpose. Though this palace is not open to the public but the outside grandeur of this three-storey building is worth seeing from outside.