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Why to visit Jai Vilas Palace
The Jai Vilas Palace, also known as the Jai Vilas Mahal, is a symbol of age-old Indian culture and splendour that has been preserved to the present day in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. This majestic structure was created by the Maharaja of Gwalior, Jayaji Rao Scindia, to provide a splendid welcome for King Edward VII, the then Prince of Wales, in 1874. It now serves as a house for the royal Maratha Scindia family's descendants. The Chitrangada Raje Art Gallery is housed in the palace, which also functions as a museum with 35 rooms and a library with over 5,000 books.
In addition, each room in the regal palace houses historical artefacts such as a collection of swords dating back to the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, as well as the authentic Dhal (shield) of freedom warrior Rani Laxmibai. The project cost a total of INR 1 crore, which would have been quite a lavish occasion in those days. The Jai Vilas Palace contains an artistically designed Durbar Hall with some of the world's most gigantic chandeliers, gilt furnishings, and a vast plush carpet, covering a floor space of roughly 75 acres. The center's mission is to establish an international cultural centre dedicated to the study of the Maratha dynasty.
History of the ancient Jai Vilas Palace :
The Maharaja wanted the Palace of Versailles to come to Gwalior. As a result, when King Edward arrived in 1875, he erected the Jai Vilas Palace by putting inmates from the Gwalior fort to work on its construction. The sumptuous carpet of the Palace's major attraction, the Durbar Hall, took 12 years to create. The carpet is one of the world's largest.
The beautiful lights in the hall, which seem to be set in stone for this monument, are no exception. Experts questioned whether the great hall's roof could support the weight of the two large chandeliers at the time. Sir Michael Filose, on the other hand, was convinced of his strategy. He built a large wooden ramp from the ground to the roof and walked a dozen elephants up it to make his point. Despite the fact that the elephants weighed nearly twice as much as the chandeliers, the ceiling remained in place. In this way, the brilliant architect demonstrated the strength of his invention in a straightforward manner. The roof is still standing after 140 years.
