Jaivilas Palace is the home of the Hindu Maratha dynasty Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia. Please tell that once the Scindia dynasty ruled over Gwalior. This 19th-century palace is an example of the king’s luxury and modern thinking, who went beyond traditional designs to build the entire palace in European style of architecture, inspired by Tuscan, Italian and Corinthian styles. The architect of this palace was Michael Philos, who designed the Durbar Hall in a very unique way. Spread over 12,40,771 sq ft, this palace has three storeys and is still the present residence of the Scindia family. Like its grand presence, Jaivilas Palace has an interesting and fun history with some interesting facts that we are going to tell you about.
Jyotiraditya Scindia has inherited the palace
The 19th century palace Jai Vilas Mahal was inherited by Jyotiraditya Scindia, the grandson of Jivaji Rao Scindia. Born in the erstwhile Gwalior princely state, Scindia is active in Indian politics.
The palace was built to welcome Prince George
The majestic palace was built to welcome Prince George and Princess Mary of Wales. Let us tell you that he had come to India in 1876.
4 thousand crores is the price of the palace
The foundation of the palace was laid in 1874 under the supervision of Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia. The palatial mansion was designed by British Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Firoz. At that time the price of the palace was Rs 1 crore and today it is worth more than Rs 4 thousand crores.
8 elephants were passed through the roof
Interestingly, each floor of the palace has been designed with a different theme. The first floor of the palace is Tuscan, the second Italian-Doric and the third inspired by Corinthian and Palladian designs. During that time eight elephants were passed through the ceiling of the Durbar Hall, to test whether the ceiling was large enough to bear the weight of the two huge chandeliers.
560 kg gold
The interior of the hall is decorated with 560 kg of gold. This is where the king used to hold meetings. The design of the hall is influenced by Neoclassical and Bareque styles.
Gold train
Another thing that shows the royalty of the Scindia family is a model train made of solid silver. The train ran along a track at the edge of the dining table in the banquet hall. It was used to serve brandy and cigars to guests.
Royal and rare royal collections in the museum
There are 400 rooms here, out of which 35 have been converted into museums. The HH Maharaja Jiajirao Scindia Museum was built by Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia in the memory of Jivajirao Scindia. This palace has a wonderful collection of silver chariots, palanquins, old luxury cars. Rare paintings by Indian and European masters like Napoleon and Tipu Sultan’s lithographs are displayed in the museum. Let us tell you that this museum was inaugurated by the then President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Entry Ticket for Jai Vilas Palace
Ticket price for Jai Vilas Palette is Rs.300 for Indians and Rs.850 per person for foreigners.
Time to visit Jai Vilas Palace
The timings for visiting Jai Vilas for tourists are from 10 am to 5 pm. The palace is closed for tourists on Wednesdays.
How to reach Jai Vilas Palace
The nearest station to the Palace is Gwalior Junction. From here you can reach the palace by public transport or there is also an airport in Maharajpura. From here also you can take auto or cab to reach Jai Vilas Palace.
