Laxmi Vilas Palace, situated at Vadodara (Baroda), Gujarat, India, is the largest dwelling unit in the world built to date. This Palace at Vadodara is four times the size of Buckingham Palace, London. This palace also has the only golf course in a palace complex.
Laxmi Vilas Palace.
Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara was constructed by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the Gaekwad dynasty of the Marathas in 1890. It is named after Queen Laxmibai Chimnabai I. This Palace is a fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Top Floors of the Vadodara Palace was the home to the Seven members of the royal family of Baroda. The Baroda Royal family has moved from the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, which is now converted into the Laxmi Vilas Palace Heritage Hotel.
The general public can visit a portion of the Palace complex. The Palace grounds are let out for events like Weddings. There is also a Museum, Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, in the Palace complex, which has a large collection of paintings from the great artist Raja Ravi Varma.
There is a miniature railway line that connects the Museum to the main Lakshmi Vilas Palace. Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum was constructed initially as a school for the children of the Royal family, which was later converted into a Museum. The train engine is currently kept at the entrance of the Museum.
Notable among other buildings in the complex is the Moti Baug Palace. There are also the remains of a Zoo. Makarpura Palace, another noteworthy building in the complex, currently houses a defense installation. Pratap Vilas Palace, another main building in the Palace complex, is now home to the National Academy of Indian Railways (formerly Railway Staff College of India).
The entire Palace complex initially covered an area of 700 acres or 2.8 square kilometers, which now covers an area of around 500 acres.
How Do I Go to Laxmi Vilas Palace Vadodara at Vadodara alias Baroda)?
Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, is well connected by road, rail, and air. National Highways and Railway line connecting Mumbai and Delhi passes through Vadodara.
Vadodara Junction is one of the major railway junctions in India, where the railway lines to four different directions, namely Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kota, and Mumbai, meet. More than 150 trains pass through this Railway Junction at Baroda alias Vadodara. There are five major railway stations at Vadodara, namely Vadodara Junction (BRC), Pratapnagar (PRTN), Makarpura (MPR), Vishwamitri, and Bajwa.
Vadodara has one of the most spacious bus terminuses in India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Bus Station.
Vadodara alias Baroda Airport’s IATA Code is BDQ. Vadodara is around 140 kilometers from the Gujarat state capital. Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park is at a distance of 45 kilometers from Vadodara Laxmi Vilas Palace.