Deep Dive Into Lalgarh Palace

Over a century ago, Maharaja Ganga Singhji of Bikaner commissioned a palace that has weathered the test of time and the desert heat.

The Lalgarh Palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan, retains all the beauty and majesty of a bygone era.

The palace is regarded as one of the most spectacular royal homes erected during the 19th century, with a remarkably harmonious combination of east and west. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, the architect, praised the work of indigenous Indian craftspeople. The end product is a large edifice with traditional Mughal and Rajput accents on the exterior and British-inspired interiors that include billiard, smoking, and card rooms. It is considered Jacob’s crowning achievement.

The facade of Lallgarh Palace is decorated in impossibly intricate stone carvings and has the peculiar colour of Thar Desert’s red sandstone. Local artisans sculpted the cupolas, domes, and balconies with such precision that the red sandstone looks strong even today.

Two wings of the Lallgarh Palace have been resurrected as a luxury hotel with 59 rooms that mix the finest of modern amenities with vintage decor. The palace corridors are decorated with lovely sepia photographs and prized hunting trophies. The grounds feature beautiful, luxurious gardens frequented by peacocks and an indoor pool, completing the idea of a perfect desert oasis.

History of Lalgarh Palace

The palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style between 1902 and 1926. The British-controlled regency commissioned the construction for Maharaja Ganga Singh (1881–1942) when he was still a minor, since the Junagarh Fort was judged inadequate for a modern sovereign. The palace was named after Ganga Singh’s father, Maharaja Lall Singh.

Ganga Singh was well-known for his shikaars (hunts) at the Gajner hunting area, notably his Christmas Imperial Sand Grouse hunts. As a result, the castle was visited by many individuals, including Georges Clemenceau in 1920, Queen Mary, King George V, Lord Harding, and Lord Irwin. The palace’s first prominent visitor was Lord Curzon.

Stanley Reed, the official reporter for the Prince and Princess of Wales’s 1905-06 India tour (later King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom), noted, “The Laxmi Niwas Palace is India’s most true modern building in the Indo-Saracenic style—a wholly elegant pile of sculpted red sandstone, nobly proportioned and completely harmonising with its surroundings. Their Royal Highnesses have still not been better housed since they arrived in Bombay.”

The Ganga Singhji Charitable Trust was created in 1972 by Karni Singh, M.P., Maharaja of Bikaner. The Maharaja bequeathed a portion of Lallgarh Palace to the trust.

The money from The Lalgarh Palace Hotel, a heritage hotel, was utilised to support the trust by converting two wings into independent hotels. Their daughter Princess Rajyashree Kumari now owns Lalgarh Palace and runs the hotel.

Lalgarh Palace’s Architecture

• Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, a British architect, created the Lalgarh Palace.
• The palace’s construction began in 1896, following a religious rite, and was completed in phases, with the luxury wings completed between 1902 and 1926.
• The palace’s initial budget was INR 100,000. It was anticipated that the building would be built using low-cost materials to save money. However, it was subsequently determined that only the best materials would be utilised for the construction. The cost was then raised to a stunning one million rupees.
• Drawing rooms, grand hallways, luxurious halls, and royal lounges are all part of the palace.
• Guests that stay at the palace have the option of exquisite dining in one of the several dining rooms and staying in one of the luxurious guest apartments.
• The location offers magnificent sandstone pillars with interesting characteristics and elaborate carvings.
• The palace library is regarded as the fourth-largest private library in the world.
• Most of the bedrooms have beautiful fireplaces and high ceilings with soft lighting.
• The palace’s colonnades, complex latticework, and filigree are influenced by classic Italian architecture, making it a prime example of Hindu-Gothic and Indo-Saracenic architecture.
• Its third wing, called the Karni Niwas, has an indoor swimming pool and the Darbar Hall, which the Maharaja utilised for official and casual gatherings and addressing events.
• The palace’s museum shows artefacts from bygone eras and provides a glimpse into the Maharaja’s regal lifestyle.

Conclusion

The Lalgarh Palace is a perfect example of Indian, European, and Mughal architecture, and it is recognised across the world for its lattice sandstones. The palace also houses a museum and the world’s fourth-largest private library. Magnificent pillars, exquisite fireplaces, Italian colonnades, beautiful latticework and filigree work adorn the complex. The Darbar Hall and an art deco indoor swimming pool are located in the Karni Niwas wing.