Rajwada Palace – It Stands Splendidly After Burning Three Times In Past Period

RAJWADA PALACE 

AT

INDORE

Rajwada palace is a popular tourist spot inside Indore city of Madhya Pradesh state. Rajwada is the historical palace of the Holkars. It was built about two centuries ago and is located near the Chhatris in the main square.

It is a seven storied structure, which serves as the living example of the grandeur of the Holkars. Rajwada stands in the centre of the city. The new palace is on the northern side, while the old palace stands in the old part of the town.

The old palace is a multi-storied building which also serves as a gateway of the Rajwada. It stands amongst the crowded streets of the Kajuri Bazar and faces the main square of the city.

The palace was once the centre of all the trading activities in the city. It is a blend of Maratha, Mughal and French style of architecture. The entrance of the palace has a lofty archway with a giant wooden door which is covered with iron studs.

The gopura-like monument is made up of wood and stone. It has a number of balconies windows and corridors. The entrance leads to a huge courtyard, which is surrounded by galleried rooms and the arcaded Ganesha hall, which was once the venue of all state and religious functions. This hall is now used for art exhibitions and classical music concerts.

It is in western part of Madhya Pradesh. While going for Indore local sightseeing you will observe that it is one of the oldest historical structure in the city. It was built in 1747 A.D. by founder of Holkar dynasty -Malhar Rao Holkar.

Malhar Rao Holkar used Rajwada as his residence and stayed here till 1880 A.D. This remarkable mammoth 7 storied palace stands in the heart of the busiest part (Khajuri Bazaar) of the town.

It is also close to the Chhatris. After independence Indore city expanded with development of new areas. Now a days it is considered as old Indore. Facing it is a garden with a statue of the great Queen Ahilya Bai.

The face that enclose the gateway of the palace gives an impression of a rather forbidding wizard`s castle. This remarkable palace serves as an living example of the Grandeur of Holkars dynasty.

Rajwada has been burnt three times in history. The last fire broke out in 1984 and caused the maximum destruction. The lower three floors are made up of stone, while the top floors are made of wood.

This made it very vulnerable to destruction by fire. Now, only the front part of the original structure remains. The palace has recently been renovated, which has managed to bring back the old glory to some extent.

In the rear part of the palace, a beautiful garden has been created. It contains fountains, an artificial waterfall and some magnificent pieces of 11th century sculpture.

By Air

Ahilyabai Airport of Indore is the nearest airport for reaching it by air. It is well linked with other important cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, Raipur, Hyderabad, Jabalpur etc.

By Train

Indore Junction in city is the main railway station. City is well connected directly by train from major cities and tourist destinations like: Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, Bhopal, Agra, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Chennai, Tivandrum, Surat, Gaya, Kolkata, Varanasi etc.

By Road

Road connectivity of Indore is very good. 03 National Highways and 02 State Highways passes through Indore city which connects it with important places like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Betul, Jhansi, Burhanpur, Bhopal etc.

Hindola Mahal – It Was Designed By An Artist Who Designed The Warangal Fort Too

HINDOLA MAHAL

AT

DHAR

Hindola Mahal in Mandu is a popular historical monuments and tourist attractions during Mandu sightseeing. Its english translation is "Swinging Palace". It is a "T" shaped building use as open air theater or audience hall. It derives its name from its sloping, buttressed walls. This sloping wall is in 77°angle which gives an impression as if building is swinging.

It is believed to be constructed during rule of Hoshang Shah in year 1425 as Durbar Hall but later modified and added to its current look by Ghiyasuddin Khilji reign in last of 15th century. It is one of the first set of monuments that appears while entering into Mandu, coming from Indore through Delhi Darwaza. 

Hindola Mahal is a "T" shaped building where its head is north direction facing.

It is part of royal palace complex which includes other popular buildings like Jahaz Mahal, Tawili Mahal, Munj Talao, Nahar Jharokha etc. In terms of architecture, it is marked different from other Mandu monuments due to its extreme simplicity in style of construction but well-proportioned. It has bordering Munj Talao to the north which is a cluster of ruined monuments.

We can find same kind of architecture in historical buildings in other parts of India like in Fort of Warangal which is located in Andhra Pradesh state in South India and seems to have been designed by same artist.

The Hindola Mahal explores its architectural simplicity with minimal ornamentation and stands out boldly through massive inclined slopes. These elements make the Hindola Mahal a unique example of the Malwa style. In addition, the pointed arches on the building’s interior show how Malwa architecture was inspired by the Delhi styles.

The Architecture of Hindola Mahal is unique with innovative construction and superb technique which invites thousands of tourists every year. It was constructed with sand stone with beautifully carved columns. In the western part of the Hindola Mahal there are few monuments whose identities are not yet unveiled.

Entrance Fee

Rs.5 (Indian)

Rs.100 (Foreigner)

Rs.25 (Video Camera)

Timings 6 am to 7 pm

By Air

Nearest airport for reaching Hindola Mahal is in Indore about 100 kms away. It is a well connected airport. After reaching Indore Airport, one can do further journey by road using bus service or taxi service.

By Train

Nearest railway station for reaching Hindola Mahal is in Indore city and known as Indore Junction. It is well connected with important tourist destinations and cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Jaipur, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Varanasi etc.

By Bus

Hindola mahal in Mandu is easily accessible by road from rest of the India. Its nearby cities are Indore and Dhar. It is easily accessible by single drive from Vadodara, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Jalgaon etc.