JAI VILAS PALACE

Greatness and decadence are combined in the immense Jai Vilas Palace of Indo-Italian renaissance style. This majestic white building is worth a visit. The current maharajah Scindia and his family still live here. The ceilings are gilded, the walls are upholstered, the windows are draped and the furniture comes from France and Italy.

The visit begins with a museum where howras, carriages, soldiers' costumes and family portraits are displayed. Don't miss the indoor pool and its bar, very disco! 35 rooms of the palace are open to the public and you will wander in the private apartments of the rani, the office of the raja, etc. The Scindia emblem is visible on several woodworks: the sun surrounded by two snakes. According to legend, a white cobra protected Mahadji Scindia from the powerful rays of the sun while he was resting during one of his war campaigns. This was the sign of an extraordinary destiny. But the highlight of the show is the Dabar Hall, a reception room located in another wing of the building. Two majestic chandeliers, each weighing 3 tons, descend from the ceiling. To test its solidity, ten elephants would have trampled the roof! On the floor, admire the largest carpet in Asia made in twelve years by the prisoners of the fort.

On the first floor, the banquet table leaves you speechless. Imagine this small silver and crystal train circulating and offering a cigar and a whisky to the two hundred satisfied guests (beautiful anecdotes on this subject in the book Ce nuit la liberté).