This was one of the few places in Gwalior that wasn’t on my list. The magic
word “Museum” was tempting, but we had lots more interesting places to visit. However,
an unexpected local holiday changed our plans and we found ourselves with a few
hours in our hand. We were staying at the MP Tourism hotel by then, and the
staff were stunned that we hadn’t visited the Jai Vilas Palace Museum as yet. And so we succumbed,
and found an auto to take us there.
At first glance, the palace was impressive. It appeared to be
a combination of European styles, and soon, our guide confirmed that it indeed
was a combination of Tuscan, Italian-Doric and Corinthian architecture. The guide
also took great pleasure in telling us that the structure was built at the cost
of one Crore, back in 1874!
Only a portion of the palace is used as the museum, and the rest
is used by the Scindias, who still live here. Even the banquet halls which are
part of the museum are used by the family for special occasions.
This museum is all about opulence, as it was clear right from the
beginning. There are rooms and rooms of treasures, collected by generations of
the family, including furniture (which have been beautifully restored and are lovely
to look at) and clothes worn by members of the family on special occasions
(which are, honestly, not that impressive). Here is a glimpse of part of the
museum.
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| This was probably the most interesting thing we saw in the museum. It is a bit of rope, dated to around 3000 B.C., from Egypt! |
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| A 11th century Jain sculpture, found near Gwalior., |
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| One of the rooms. I absolutely loved that bed! and that tiny stool by it as well! |
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| This was another room I liked - the puja room. The ornate swing for Krishna is beautiful! |
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| One of the stained glasses in the palace.. love the pattern! |
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| Old horse carriages |
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| Vehicles for the children... I loved seeing these as well |
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| The palace has some really ornate chandeliers, like this one..notice that the bars on the floor above are also crystal, like the chandelier. |
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| The banquet hall, which is certainly impressive, and apparently still used for special occasions |
By the time we were out, I must admit that I was quite
tired of listening about the greatness of the family, their achievements, and
even their philanthropy. What I found really ironic is that among all the
monuments we visited, this was also the most expensive. With tickets priced at
Rs. 100, with additional charge for guides, it was the most I had paid through
the trip. While I admit that maintenance is expensive, I would much rather pay
such amounts for a museum which actually preserves our heritage, rather than
one which only preserves personal collections of the privileged.
The one thing I appreciated about the museum is their Residency
programme in art, and their library, which appears to have a good collection of
books.
- Timings:
- Open from 10 AM to 5 PM
- Closed on Mondays and National Holidays
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