The palaces of India depict stories of valor and victory. Each palace holds an important legacy. They showcases tales of history, antique pieces, jewelry, and tradition.
Here is a list of Indian Palaces you should visit for a grand experience.
Jai Vilas Palace, Gwalior
Timings: 10:00am – 4:30pm
Entry fees- Rs.150 (Indians), Rs.800 (Foreigners)
A nineteenth-century palace was established in 1874 by the Maharaja of Gwalior. Jai Vilas Palace, famed for its magnificent Darbar Hall.
This magnificent place holds the victorious history of Mughal Emperors. The architectural type is similar to Italian-Doric, Corinthian design. There are four hundred rooms filled with rare, lavish accessories and antique pieces from different parts of the world.
A distinguishing feature of Jai Vilas palace is the meals and drinks are served to visitors in a silver tray that arrives in miniature train carriages. The Jai Vilas Palace has a breathtaking library containing more than seven thousand books having information about the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Lake Palace, Udaipur
Timings: 09:00am- 6:00pm
Entry fees: Rs.200 (adult), Rs.100 (children)
Located in the middle of Lake Pichola, exhibits the majestic architecture of Taj Lake Palace and magical visuals of Aravalli, Jag Mandir, and Machla Magra Hills. The Lake Palace offers guided tours that consist of cultural tours, astrology sessions, and spa treatments.
The world-famous James Bond movie filmed scenes in Lake Palace.
Mysuru Palace, Mysore
Timing- 10;00 a.m – 5:30 p.m
Entry Fees- Rs.50 Adults; Rs.30 Children (10-18 age)
One of the most visited architectural wonders in India is the Mysore Palace. It was the residence of the Wodeyar Dynasty who ruled Mysore for several decades. The Durbar Hall, the Amba Vilas, the royal howdah, the Kalyana Mantapa, a portrait gallery located inside speaks volumes about the royal history.
Renowned for its hybrid style of architecture that consists of Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic styles condensed as Indo-Saracenic. A huge garden precedes the magnificent structure.
Leh Palace, Leh
Timing- 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fees- Rs.15 Indians; Rs.100 Foreigners.
Leh Palace is known as Lhachen Palkhar, is one of the eminent architectural structures in Leh. It is one of the tallest structures, about nine storeys and overlooking the beautiful town. The view from atop the castle is ethereal.
King Senge Namgyal built the Leh palace in Tibetan style that was later popularized by Potala Palace in Lhasa. It is being revived from ruins by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Leh Palace is drenched with ancient artifacts, history and is open to the public.
Wildflower Hall, Shimla
Accommodation charges: approx Rs.22,000 per night
This rustic architecture takes you back to the colonial-era. Nestled among the wilderness, Wildflower Palace is sure to make your fairytale come true. The impeccable view it offers is sure to enthrall you. This Hall gained more popularity due to Lord Kitchener, who was one of the greatest commanders-in-chief in India.
Fernhills Royal Palace, Ooty
Accommodation charges: approx Rs.11,000 per night.
The summer residence of Maharaja of Mysore, located on the hill-town, Ooty, is known as the Fernhills royal palace. This Swiss Chalet style structure that sprawls over 50 acres overlooks tea plantations and beautiful valleys.
The Fernhills Royal Palace gets shrouded by a perfectly trimmed and maintained garden containing cedars and first.
Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad
Accommodation Charges: approx Rs.30,000 per night.
The word Falaknuma means Mirror of Sky or Like the Sky in Urdu. Resting at 2000 meters above the city of Hyderabad, this magnanimous palace was formerly the residence of the Mughals. Now it has been converted into a five-star luxury heritage hotel. This massive structure that resembles the shape of the scorpion is made up of Italian marble and covers an area of 1,011,500 square feet. You can book a tour to view the insides of the palace.
Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara
Timings: 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m
Entry fee: Rs. 400 (Foreigners) and Rs.225 Indian citizens.
This majestic structure is deemed to be the largest private residence in the world and is four times larger than Buckingham Palace. This structure belongs to the Indo-Saracenic school of style. The interiors are, however, more resembling the European country house. It still belongs to the royal family but is open to the public. This structure houses Moti Baug Palace and the Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum within it.
The museum is rich in its collection and also is home to many of Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings.
Lalgarh Palace, Bikaner
Timings: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm ( Sunday closed)
Entry fees: Rs 20 per person.
Maharaja Ganga Singhji of Bikaner commissioned the construction of this palace that stands tall in contrast to the surrounding Thar desert.
The palace fuses the influences from the east and the west mellifluously. The exterior is inspired by both Mughals and Rajput style while the interior is British-themed. Lallgarh Palace is the finest creation among the famed Samuel Jacob’s work.
The lush green garden sprawling the palace has adorning dancing peacocks that impose its royal heritage.
Cooch Behar Palace
Timings: 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m
Fees: Rs 10 per person
One of the most important places to visit in West Bengal is Cooch Behar Palace.
This brick-built monument is also of Indo-Saracenic school and stands tall with its rich history waiting that you must hear.
This palace has a similar structure to that of Buckingham Palace. A section of the Cooch Behar Palace is converted to a museum that displays it’s contents unabashedly.
The chandeliers, varied oil paintings, antique figurines, etc. all reward you with a glimpse of its ancient times.
Kareng Ghar, Assam
Timings: 09:00am to 5:30 pm
Entry Fees: Rs 100 per person
Presently, Kareng Ghar is the remains of the royal palace of Ahom kings. The structure is four storeys high, with the top floor having a dome-like roof. There were four main gates to the Kareng Ghar palace.
These are called the Lion’s gate. Of the four watch-towers, two remain now. It is one of the unique architectures present in India. The whole Kareng Ghar is constructed of woods and stones. Of all the remnants of Ahom architecture, this one takes the cake.
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
Timings: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
Entry Fees: Rs.30 Indians; Rs.100 Foreigners.
Perched on the Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur, this palace cascades of Rajasthan’s heritage.
Currently, the sixth-largest private residence is made up of palm court marble, the same as that of Taj Mahal’s.
This luxury five-star Heritage hotel covers over 26 acres encased with lush green gardens and a subterranean pool. The Umaid Bhawan Palace segregated into three parts; hotel, museum, and the residence of royals. The central dome has an arresting appearance, and the walls are painted with the Jodhpur history.
Padmanabhapuram Palace
Timings: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Entry Fees: Rs. 10 for Indians; Rs. 300 for foreigners.
It is also known as Kalkulam Palace. Although it is present in the Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, this palace is controlled and maintained by the Government of Kerala (neighboring state). It is Asia’s largest wooden palace built by the King of Travancore around 1601 CE.
The architectural style is Kerala architecture. King’s Council Chambers, a performance hall, a four-storeyed mansion, and a Southern Palace are all enclosed within the walls of the palace. The southern palace has now been converted into a heritage museum that houses ancient artifacts, murals, paintings, and weaponry all depicting the culture of that period. Also, there’s a three hundred years old clock tower which is still working.
Sajjan Garh or Monsoon Palace
Timings: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Entry Fees: Rs 10 for Indians; Rs 80 for foreigners
Perched atop the Aravalli hill range this palace was built solely to view the monsoon clouds by Maharana Sajjan Singh. Hence, the name Monsoon Palace. This structure is made up of white marbles and overlooks the city of Udaipur.
It is surrounded by the Sajjangarh Wildlife sanctuary and acted as a hunting lodge for the royal family. More popularly few sequences of the James bond movie Octopussy were shot here.
It also encases a unique water harvesting system. The palace is known for its breathtaking sunset views.
Kangla Palace
Timings: 7:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entry Fees: Rs.2 per person
The Palace of Kangla is situated in Imphal, Manipur. This palace rests on the banks of the Imphal river. It was built across both sides of the bank. But only the structure on the western monument remains. This place has a significant position culturally and religiously.
The palace belonged to the past Meetei rulers of Manipur and hence was also a political center.
Several manuscripts mention the importance of Kangla. It is believed that there are more than three hundred sacred places in Kangla like Ebudhou Pakhangba Temple, Nunggoibi, Site of Lord Wangbaren, and many others that are an important part of the culture.