The grandeur of Vadodara's Laxmi Vilas Palace

Tucked away in a corner of Gujarat, the Gaekwad dynasty's Laxmi Vilas Palace compares with the best in the world

Panic, envy, fear, pride or a peculiar cocktail of all —  these are some of the emotions I feel as I wander in and around the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, a remarkably traffic-less place with its charming small-town feel. How would I feel living in this 500-acre compound in the heart of the city surrounded by history that goes back 200 years?

But there’s no time to ponder on this question once you enter the magnificent palace of Maharaja Sayajirao III built by British architect Charles Mant in 1890. The load of what he had constructed evidently weighed heavily on Mant’s mind. Legend has it that Mant, six years after he finished building the palace four times the size of Buckingham Palace, ended his life because he believed he had erred in judgment and built a weak foundation. The irony, of course, is that not only does the structure stand today, but it also seems as indestructible as time itself.

The irony extends further as you discover that the man who inherited the throne (Sayajirao III) and built this structure for generations to admire was, in fact, the adopted son of the then king who was looking for a male heir to carry forward the Gaekwad dynasty.

Right from its magnificent entrance, Laxmi Vilas palace will astound you with its extravagance and attention to detail. I spend half an hour at the entrance alone trying to absorb everything — Felicci statues, bronze statutes, statues with Italian marble, inlaid intricate railings, marble inlay work and trellises of the same variety of marble that was used by Michelangelo for his David sculpture. The entrance sets the tone for what is to come. It has a grand staircase that leads up to the private quarters of the Gaekwad  family — an area inaccessible to the public.

Downstairs, you move in to the simple reception room with a few of the Gaekwad ancestors looking down upon you, a room that masks the grandeur of what is to come.

Let someone correct me if I am wrong, but perhaps the most impressive armament and weaponry display you will see in India is housed here in the armament room. Lovers of weapons, swords, guns and daggers will find it hard to tear themselves away from the vast and varied display, several of which helped shape history simply by eliminating a life usually far earlier than age would allow. Along with 14-15 other impressive exhibits, it also houses the magnificent sword used by the sixth and most feared Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, as he drove its ivory handle into many a rival.

A hushed silence greets you as you make your way into the Gaddi Room. A dark brooding space — my personal favourite in the palace — with a simple white takhat (throne) covered with a morpankhi (peacock feather) to coronate the next in line, this room is filled with nine Raja Ravi Varma paintings. Each painting jumps out at you as you stop to take it in. You can’t really do justice to these artworks unless you are willing and able to spend an inordinate amount of time in the Gaddi Room alone. I do and it is worth every minute. Sita’s agnipariksha — an inspired work if ever there was one — aptly holds the pride of place right behind the throne.

A leafy courtyard with tall palms and a rush of green in the middle of the palace separates the Gaddi Room from the Elephant Room, which houses a large gate that allowed the maharaja to alight his elephant within the palace. In this courtyard stands a 300-foot-high clock tower that never quite served the purpose it was meant to. The 24x7 ticking of the clock irritated the maharaja. So, it was instead used to light a lamp daily as evidence of the maharaja being in residence. The tradition holds even today.

Darbar Hall, Laxmi Vilas Palace

From the Elephant Room, you make your way into what many would argue is one of the finest rooms in the country — the grand Durbar Hall. A vast space with a Venetian mosaic floor, the room in its heyday held 34 different kinds of durbar, each with its own protocol and set of rules, including those that dictated how to dress and how to salute the maharaja. As you look up, you will see Belgian stained glass paintings that allow sunlight to filter in and can fool you into believing that you are in one of Rome’s old medieval churches.

I must end by saying that a visit to this palace alone — and the chance to drive on good roads — justifies a visit to this sleepy city tucked away in a tiny corner of Gujarat. Laxmi Vilas Palace compares with the best in the world and credit must go to the Gaekwad family for maintaining its family home with such love and pride. The family has even put together an engaging recording interspersed with commentary by the former maharaja, Ranjit Singh. The recording, available on a small device, guides you through the palace.

Time has clearly not taken away the grandeur and charm of Laxmi Vilas Palace — it has only added to its lure.