Makarpura Palace
Makarpura Palace was a Gaekwad royal palace in the city of Vadodara, Gujarat state, India. It was built by Maharaja Khende Rao in 1870, in the Italian style. It was used as summer residence and hunting resort by the Royal Family.
History :
It was built by Maharaja Khende Rao in 1870. It is said that Malhar Rao Gaekwad, brother of Khanderao II Gaekwad, who ruled Baroda from 1970 to 1975, destroyed a portion of this palace. It was extended and renovated by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. The palace was used as a training school by the Indian Air Force for many years.
Location :
Khanderao II Gaekwad spend a lot of time at Dhaniavi which is near Makarpura; it was then called Shikarkhana. Due to its proximity to deer reserves, the palace site was selected at Makarpura.
Structure and Landscape :
The palace is a three-storey structure which is divided into two parts. One part was built by Khanderao II Gaekwad whereas the other part was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Both parts look the same and reflect Italian renaissance architecture. Both these parts are connected by corridors at the ground and first floor levels. There is also a single-storey porte-cochere with Italian-style multifoil fountains.
It has more than one hundred ornate brick rooms, along with frame-arch balconies and wooden staircases. The size of the arch gets smaller as it goes up.
The rear portion of the palace consists of series of terraces which are connected by staircases and are shaded by chhajjas.
The palace has a Japanese-style garden which is spread across 130 acres. It is designed by William Goldring, the architect of the royal botanical gardens. The garden was named Kew and featured a swimming pool and a lake with swans. There were ivory fountains which were activated to welcome the king when he visited the palace.
The interior of the palace which once had painted ceilings, grand wooden staircases, stucco panels, chandeliers, wooden furniture, etc. is currently in a very dilapidated condition.
- Timings: 9:30 am to 6:00 pm
- Entry Fee: ₹ 125 per person
How to get there
By Road: Vadodara, 112 km from Ahmedabad and 420 km from Mumbai, is located on National Highway 8. There are various state transport (ST) buses and private luxury coaches from all over Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Rajasthan. Ahmedabad-Vadodara intercity buses take 2 hours and run every 15 minutes. There are also several private bus companies on or near Station Road. Tickets vary according to the type of bus, but the average rate is Rs 100/- to Ahmedabad and Rs 200/- to Mumbai. You can also rent a car with a driver to explore the city and its surroundings at the Express Hotel. Rates range from Rs. 650/- without air-conditioning to Rs. 2200/- for luxury vehicles, for 8 hrs or 80 km per day.
By Rail: Vadodara, a major railway junction is located on the Western Railway, which connects Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.
By Air: Vadodara is connected by various domestic airlines to Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Daman, and Pune.
