Jai Vilas Palace

In India, there are around 80 palaces located across states such as Assam, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Kerala, West Bengal, and many more. The Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, is one of the prominent names.

The exquisite architecture of Jai Vilas Mahal is well-known throughout the country. Every aspect of the palace is elaborately constructed and adorned, revealing much about the sculptors of the time. The palace is a magnificent architectural masterpiece, combining Italian, Tuscan, and Corinthian styles.

Details of the Jai Vilas Palace

Construction

Jayajirao Scindia of the Maratha Scindia Dynasty, who was the Maharaja of Gwalior, built the Jai Vilas Palace in 1874. The magnificent mansion was constructed in 1875 to welcome the Prince of Wales, King Edward VII.

• The furnishings of the palace’s Durbar Hall are ornamented with gilded and gold artefacts, including a massive carpet that has a length of 100 feet, a width of 50 feet, and a height of 41 feet.
• The prisoners made the carpet placed at Jai Vilas Palace over the course of 12 years.
• The palace includes 400 rooms, with 40 of them serving as museums.
• The Mahal’s rooms are built with Italian marble floors, elaborately decorated fixtures and fittings, and unique vintage items gathered from different places.
• The ground floor houses seven galleries of antiques and displays.
• The first floor contains several historical rooms, including the Oriental art room, the Kerman carpet room, and the crystal furniture room.
• The palace has a metal and wood hunting howdah from the early twentieth century.
• The east wing of the palace, which houses the Tiger gallery and the Royal Kitchen gallery, is presently under construction.

Cost of construction

The estimated cost of construction of the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior was approximately ₹1 Crore in 1875, which is roughly ₹4000 crores in current times.

Current occupancy

The majority of the Jai Vilas Palace was converted into the Jivajirao Scindia Museum in 1964 and remains open for public viewing. A portion of the Palace remains reserved as a residency of the Royal Lineage.

The palace is a three-story structure that spans 12,40,771 square feet. It is not only impressive in appearance but also has a royal heritage tied to it. 

Following are some of the artistic details of Jai Vilas Palace:

Gold in halls

The Jai Vilas Palace halls are adorned with gold, to the tune of about 560 kg. These were the meeting halls of the kings in the past. The designs of these halls are inspired by Corinthian and European themes.

The Jai Vilas Mahal is well-known for its massive court hall. The photo gallery and art gallery at the Jai Vilas Palace Gwalior house have over 5000 books. 

Chandelier and artefacts

• Durbar Hall of the Jai Vilas Palace is decorated with two massive chandeliers, each of which is 12.5m high, weighing 3500 kg, and adorned with 250 lamps.
• It is said that a practical experiment to test the viability of the roof to bear the weight of these chandeliers was done by making 12 elephants walk on the roof of the Durbar Hall.
• The Palace has 400 rooms with Italian marble flooring, featuring opulent Persian carpets, exquisite furnishings, and unique artefacts from other lands.
• Aside from the Durbar Hall, the palace also has a large banquet hall with a long dining table, which is a great attraction. 
• The main attraction is a silver railway that runs over the dining table. 
• There is a swimming pool in the interior area of the Jai Vilas Palace, which was designed for the royal family’s females.

Model Silver Train in the Dining Hall

The silver train is a unique attraction of the palace. Madhav Rao Scindia positioned this model train on the dining table. On some occasions, this train runs down the rails and distributes meals to the visitors.

The Museum

There are 400 rooms in the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior. 40 of them have been transformed into museum sections. The museum shows the Scindia Family’s treasure trove, which includes priceless items such as a silver chariot, palanquins, a silver carriage, and old luxury automobiles. It also holds Jhansi’s famous Rani Laxmi Bai’s original shield and sword from the Mughal reign. The HH Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum was inaugurated on December 12, 1964, by Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the then President of India.

Valuation

British Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Michael Filose designed the 19th-century palace. Its foundation was laid in 1874 under the sponsorship of Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia. According to Business Insider, the castle, which was assessed at around ₹1 crore at the time of its completion, is now worth more than ₹4000 crores.

Conclusion

The Jai Vilas Mahal is one of the magnificent architectural pieces of the 19th century. The palace is recognised as a tourist attraction by the modern travellers of the country as well as the world. The palace is currently owned by Jyotiraditya Scindia. It is presently recognised as HH Jivaji Rao Scindia Museum and the family residence of the Scindia dynasty heirs.