The President of the Government, Narendra Modi, and the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, are in Vadodara. On Monday, the prime ministers of both countries will meet at the grand Durbar Hall of the world-famous Lakshmi Vilas Palace. Prime Minister Modi and Spanish Prime Minister will also have lunch here. Let us tell you that this meeting is considered historic, because for the first time after independence this will happen at the Durbar Hall. It is the first time since 1947 that the heads of state of two countries have met in this Durbar Hall. Nowadays this Vadodara palace is talked about all over the world, so let us know what is special about this palace…
This palace, built in 1890, is considered the largest private residence in the world. It is four times larger than Buckingham Palace in London. The palace was built in 1890 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, ruler of the state of Baroda. It is believed that 6 million rupees were spent on the construction of this palace at that time. It has a huge land, on which a golf course is also built. There is also a Moti Bagh cricket ground, the Baroda Cricket Association office and a tennis and badminton court with special flooring.
Built many years ago, this palace had many facilities such as elevator, telephone exchange and electricity. The palace has golden stones brought from the mines of Songadh, which shine with a soft light. There are 170 large and small rooms in the palace, some of which are built with the theme of the Silver Room or the Pink Room.
How great is Durbar Hall?
The special attraction of this palace is this Durbar Hall. This Durbar Hall of Lakshmi Vilas Palace is quite grand and is built in 5000 square feet. The special thing is that in this great Durbar Hall there is not a single pillar. The workmanship done in every corner of this room is soothing to the eye and each accessory has its own story. Gold, ivory and lacquer have been used in the work carried out in this room.
There are four stained glass panels in this room, measuring 14 feet long. These glasses have different photographs of Ram-Krishna, Lord Vishnu and Ram-Sita. Indian mythology is represented in these vessels. The room also features Murano floors, which were made by 12 artisans in Murano, Italy, over a period of six months. There are also 5 special chandeliers installed on it, some of which were used to illuminate the ceiling and some of which were used to illuminate the floor. In addition, there are sandalwood arches in the lobby, and the seating arrangement in the lobby is also special.
According to the Indian Express report, the Durbar Hall, a mix of Western and Indian culture, was designed by architect Major Charles Munt, but was completed by Robert Chisholm after Munt committed suicide fearing his designs would go wrong. Great artists in history have performed in the room. This hall has been visited by many great personalities from India and abroad.
