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The Laxmi Vilas Palace is one of the country’s most distinctive and gorgeous monuments that stand unmatched in its beauty and size. Anyone visiting Gujarat’s old royal Vadodara state must make time to see this monument.
The main architect of this magnificent palace is said to be Major Charles Mant, who worked for the reigning Gaekwad family of Yore, a renowned Maratha line of rulers that ruled over Baroda state.
The majestic Laxmi Vilas Palace (or Lakshmi Vilas Palace) is located on JN Marg in Moti Baug, Vadodara, at the centre of the city. It is designed with Indo-Saracenic Renaissance architectural elements.
Aside from its convenient location, Laxmi Vilas Palace Vadodara has long been recognised for its unique interior and wonderful architecture and overpowering splendour.
Valuation of Vadodara Laxmi Vilas Palace
Taking everything into account, the palace spans a gigantic 700 acres, amounting to a mammoth 3,04,92,000 square feet. Using the current market rate of Rs 8,000 per sq ft, the total price would be at least Rs 2,43,93,60,00,000. To put it differently, the Laxmi Vilas Palace would be worth a whopping Rs twenty-four thousand three hundred and ninety three crores and sixty lakhs. Given the cultural value and the vibrant history of this monument, this cost might well surpass Rs 25,000 crores.
Highlights
The palace interiors have well-maintained mosaics, chandeliers, and artwork, making it one of India’s most stunning Raj-era palaces to this day. Laxmi Vilas Palace was built with the most cutting-edge facilities, such as elevators, to make it a fitting contemporary palace with a western sensibility. The darbar hall, with Venetian mosaic floors and Belgian painted glass windows for concerts and cultural events, is one of the palace’s most imposing features.
The 700-acre palace property features the stunning Navlakhi stepwell, the Maharaja Fatehgarh museum, and a tiny zoo that once housed crocodiles. The portion of the Maharaja Fatehgarh museum that shows paintings by Raja Ravi Verma was formerly the royal offsprings’ school, and a small railway line around the mango arcades connected the location to the school so the children could travel easily.
Many cricket-related activities are frequently held at the compound next to the Motibaug Palace. Both the compound and Motibaug Palace are co-located within the premises of the Laxmi Vilas Palace. Laxmi Vilas Palace also has a golf course, a swimming pool, a clubhouse, a gym, and the Moti Bagh Cricket Ground, as well as the famed museum and the present office of the Baroda Cricket Association. This vast art-deco palace is a regal home and may be visited by tourists. Laxmi Vilas Palace is among the most visually appealing landmarks for both locals and visitors.
The Doomed Architect of the Project
Rich and interesting as the Laxmi Vilas Palace is, the story of its creation and its architect is notably interesting as well. Major Charles Mant, the project’s primary architect, was a well-known architect at the time. His most ambitious project was the Lakshmi Vilas, which included the construction of palaces at Darbhanga, Bihar, and Kolhapur. Despite his enthusiasm as an architect, he was thought to suffer from sadness and paranoia, which finally led to his demise halfway through the project.
His death is claimed to be the outcome of a fear-driven suicide attempt. There are two possible explanations for what prompted the worry or guilt that led him to such lengths. According to the first, he was frightened that his estimates were faulty and that the palace might fall at any moment.
Another explanation is that the palace was built in the mirror image of the plan due to a reversed North symbol on the blueprints. As a result, the main entrance of the palace turned out to be at the backside. Regardless, Major Charles Mant died without seeing the end of his project, so Robert Fellows Chisolm took his place. Robert Fellows Chisholm, a visionary architect, worked on this magnificent structure for twelve years.
Conclusion:
Finally, the scale of the Laxmi Vilas Palace is anticipated to be four times bigger than the Buckingham Palace. The building’s architecture outlines the features of Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture. The palace complex has various enterprises, including LVP Banquets & Conventions, Moti Bagh Palace, and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum building, and spans 500 acres.
