One of the royal palaces of the Holkar dynasty, the LalBagh Palace is one of the most prominent examples of Holkar era architecture in Indore ! It is one of the best palaces and historical attractions in Indore ! It was commissioned by Tukoji Rao Holkar (reign: 1844 - 1886) and was completed by Shivaji Rao Holkar (reign: 1886 - 1903) in 1890 at a cost of Rs. 1.5 lacs ! Tukoji Rao Holkar (reign: 1903 - 1926) was the last king to reside in this palace; he lived here until his death in 1978 !
Built on the banks of river Saraswati, this palace was surrounded by beautiful lawns & trees, spread over an area of 28 acres ! At one point of time, the palace had one of the best rose gardens in India !
It was also considered as one of the most stylish royal residences in India ! Its heavy-duty cast iron entrance gates, replica of those at the Buckingham Palace London, were imported from England ! More stylish features included marble columns, Bohemian chandeliers, stained-glass windows, and even spring-mounted floor in the central ballroom for extra bounce during ball dances ! The LalBagh Palace is a unique blend of Renaissance, Palladian, and Baroque styles of architecture ! The palace’s art & architecture was modelled on that of Palace of Versailles, Paris, which is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world !
Another interesting feature of the palace was its kitchen, on the other side of River Saraswati, which was linked to the palace by a bridge and also by an underground tunnel ! Small lift for taking the food upstairs and a horizontally-moving cart for cleaning the ceiling were among the many other innovations in the palace !
It is open for visitors from 10:00 AM to 06:00 PM, Tuesday through Sunday (Closed on Monday) !
Some of the beautiful images of this Rocking palace have been provided to us by Mr. Bhalu Mondhe, Indore's Rocking & Leading photographer !
Ticket prices:
Indian
nationals (above 15 years age) - Rs. 5 / person
Foreign nationals (all ages) - Rs. 100 /
person
Still camera charges - Rs. 10 /
camera
Video camera charges - Rs. 50 / camera
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