Top 11 Spectacular Grand Palaces of India

 

  1.Amba Vilasa Palace-Mysore

  Mysore Palace is the central piece of Mysore's attractions. The sprawling Mysore Palace is located in the heart of Mysore city. Rather the roads out of Mysore city appears radiating from the palace.

The interior of Mysore Palace is richly carved, intricate, colorful and architecturally thrilling.
It is from this palace the erstwhile rulers , the Wodeyars, ruled the Mysore Kingdom (see Maharajas of Mysore ).
Though Mysore is often referred to as the "City of Palaces", the term Mysore Palace refers to the largest and the most opulent of all its surviving palaces located in the city center, called the Amba Vilas Palace.

Mysore Palace  history spans for  more than 500 years.  But what you see now in Mysore is the modern palace built in 1912. As mentioned earlier the first palace was built during 14th century by the then Wodeyar kings.
After the fall of Vijayanagar , and the subsequent power shifts in the region, Raja Wodeyar moved the capital to Srirangapatna from Mysore in 1610. The palace in Mysore however continued to serve as a royal residence.

2.Lukshmi Vilas Palace

Lukshmi Vilas Palace, the magnificent residence of the royal family of Baroda was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 with Major Charles Mant as the chief architect.Until the 1860s the family still occupied the old Nazarbaug palace, a tall building with an encrustation of pavilions and kiosks on the roof which the French traveller, Rousselet, found very disquieting: 'The mass of buildings, planted on the summit of an edifice almost entirely of wood, whose foundations were soaking in a damp soil, betokened great audacity on the part of the architects, and still more confidence on that of the king'.

 

The inside was dark and cavernous, and Sayajirao felt it was better suited to act as a storehouse for the family jewels rather than as a residence.Lukshmi Vilas Palace was completed in 1890. It had taken twelve years to build and had cost around £180,000. It was designed by Major Mant, who also designed palaces at Kolhapur and Darbhanga, but completed by Robert Fellowes Chisholm. As Chisholm told the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1896:'It must be kept in view that the native Rajas and chiefs of India are passing through a transitional period; that an old palace like that at Ambur would be about as useless to the present Gaekwar of Baroda as to an ordinary English gentleman.'

3.Ujjayanta Palace-Tripura

  The sight of a white, grandeur building in Agartala looked misplaced at first. Standing in front of it, I could have landed in London. The architecture and design of the building was from another era but kept in a good condition. The Ujjayanta Palace served as a home to many past rulers of Tripura since it was built in 1901. The palace was built in the Indo-Saracenic style with a Mughal inspired spacious garden and lake spread out in front. The two-storied high building has three domes, each measuring 86 feet high. The interior of the house have beautiful tiles floor, carved wooden ceilings and doors. The palace and its surroundings covered an area of 1 sq. km. and housed many temples.
The name Ujjayanta Palace was given by Rabindranath Tagore, a regular visitor to Tripura. The State has a long history of being an independent princely state. The palace include significant halls like the public halls, Throne room, Durbar Hall, Library, the Chinese Room and the Reception Hall.

 

Ujjayanta Palace was built right in the heart of Agartala city. Construction work began in 1899 and was completed in 1901. The project cost at that time was Rs. 1 million and was overseen by the Martin & Burn Company during the reign of Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya. It was then a separate kingdom. 

 

But after it merged with the Indian Government in 1949, royal properties were nationalised. In 1972-73 the main building was bought by the Tripura government from the royal family for a sum of Rs. 2.5 million. Up to 2011, it housed the State legislative assembly. Today the Royal Palace houses the State Museum. The royal family still inhabit a small portion the palace on the right wing.

4. Jai Vilas Palace -Madhya Pradesh

Jai Vilas Palace has turned out to be a great landmark for Gwalior City. This magnificent palace currently serves as a residence to the Scindia Family. The Palace from both inside and outside gives us a peek into the luxurious lifestyle of royal people in India. The structure of Jai Vilas Palace is Italianate to which, Tuscan and Corinthian architectural style add extra grandeur. The Durbar hall inside the palace is the main attraction. There are two mammoth chandeliers on the ceiling of this spacious room that weigh a couple of tonnes. Before they were on the ceiling, 10 elephants were used to examine the strength of the roof.

Other attraction of the palace are a silver train with cut glass wagons which served guests as it moved around on miniature rails on the table. 

 

The Scindia Museum also showcases swords worn by Aurangazeb and Shah Jehan, jeweled slippers of Chinkoo rani and many personal momentoes of Scindia Family. This 35-room museum is open on all days except on Mondays from 10 AM to 5 PM

5.Taj Falaknuma Palace

An English architect designed this palace. The foundation stone for the construction was laid by Sir Vicar on 3 March 1884. He was the maternal grandson of H.H. Sikandar Jah Bahadur, Nizam lll of Hyderabad. It took nine years to complete the construction and furnish the palace. Sir Vicar moved into the Gol Bangla and Zanana Mahel of the Falaknuma Palace in December 1890 and closely monitored the finishing work at the Mardana portion. It is made completely with Italian marble and covers an area of 93,971 square meters.

 

The palace was built in the shape of a scorpion with two stings spread out as wings in the north. The middle part is occupied by the main building and the kitchen, Gol Bangla, Zenana Mehal, and harem quarters stretch to the south. The Nawab was an avid traveler, and his influences show in the architecture.

 

The Falaknuma palace is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. Its stained glass windows throw a spectrum of colour into the rooms.

6.Marble Palace -West Bengal

 Marble Palace is a palatial mansion, built in 1835 by a French architect for Raja Rajendra Mullick, an affluent Bengali merchant and art connoisseur. He built this grand palace with a passion of preserving the exquisite works of art. The mansion is famous for its sparkling white marble walls and floors, from which it has derived its present name. The palace also has an exquisite collection of Western sculpture and Victorian furniture. There is a private zoo, which was the first zoo in India, unveiled by Raja Rajendra Mullick. The mansion has a grand portico with stucco work and six Tuscan columns and the ground floor and first floor each have 14 Corinthian columns.

 

 Marble Palace is one of the most beautifully conserved and elegant houses in Kolkata. This nineteenth century magnificent mansion was built under the benefaction of Raja Rajendra Mullick – a rich Bengali merchant with a strong urge for collecting exquisite works of art. The mansion is a masterpiece, with 90 varieties of patterned marble on the floors of the mansion. 

 

The structure of the mansion is originally Neoclasical in style and it merges with traditional Bengali style of architecture with open courtyards. Close by the courtyard, there is the place of worship for the family members, which is also called Thakur-Dalan.

7.Umaid Bhawan Palace -Rajasthan

Umaid Bhawan Palace, located at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India, is one of the world's largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner Gaj Singh of the palace, this edifice has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. A part of the palace also houses a museum.

 

Umaid Bhawan Palace was called Chittar Palace during its construction due to use of stones drawn from the Chittar hill where it is located. Ground for the foundations of the building was broken on 18 November 1929 by Maharaja Umaid Singh and the construction work was completed in 1943. 

The Palace was built to provide employment to thousands of people during the time of famine.

8.Rambagh Palace

 The first building on the site was a garden house built in 1835 for the wet nurse of prince Ram Singh II. In 1887, during the reign of Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh, it was converted into a modest royal hunting lodge, as the house was located in the midst of a thick forest at that time. 

 

In the early 20th century, it was expanded into a palace to the designs of Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob. Maharajah Sawai Man Singh II made Rambagh his principal residence and added a number of royal suites in 1931. 

 

 After India became independent and the princely states united, the Palace became the Government House. By the 1950s, the royal family felt that the upkeep of the palace and its 47 acres (190,000 m²) of gardens was becoming very costly. Therefore, in 1957 they decided to convert it into a luxury hotel.

  9.The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur

Set amidst gardens and overlooking Lake Pichola, this luxury hotel is 2.4 km from both Jagdish Temple and the City Palace Museum.

Bright, elegant rooms and suites feature flat-screen TVs, DVD players and sitting areas, plus minibars and iPod docks. Suites add dining rooms, living rooms and coffeemakers, as well as private pools and furnished courtyards with lake views. A 24-hour butler service is available.

Amenities include 2 upscale restaurants, a bar and a relaxed lounge with lake views. 

 

There's also a gym, a spa and an outdoor pool, plus a business centre, meeting rooms and event space. On-site parking is free.

 10.Wildflower Hall, Shimla 

At Wildflower Hall, guests can refresh with nature walks, rafting, cycling or yoga, or relax and rejuvenate with an exclusive spa therapy.

The Restaurant includes a smart, brightly lit indoor dining space, a charming glass conservatory with intimate seating arrangements and an outdoor terrace, with magnificent views of the Himalayas. The menu features pan-Indian (including local Himachal), Asian and Continental cuisine.

 

Wildflower Hall offers exclusive massage, yoga and Ayurvedic treatments at bespoke locations around the hotel and grounds.

 

 Our open air whirlpool affords magnificent views across the Greater Himalayas, while our indoor pool lit and adorned by overhead crystal chandeliers - is temperature controlled throughout the year. 

10.Taj Lake Palace

 Set in an 18th-century palace encompassing a Lake Pichola island, this luxury marble hotel once featured in a James Bond movie is a short boat ride from City Palace.

Featuring butler service, the opulent rooms offer lake and palace views, Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, as well as minibars, period furniture and turndown service. Suites add panoramic views and ceiling frescoes, and some have balconies or terraces. Rooms service is available 24/7.

The hotel features original art, ornate marble and glasswork throughout. Amenities include high-end restaurants and a full-service spa, fitness center & heated pool. Sunset cruises and yoga are offered

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10 Worlds Beautiful Water Falls to be must Visited

1.Iguazu Falls

   Iguazu Falls, in Iguazu River, are one of the world’s largest waterfalls. They extend over 2,700 m (nearly 2 miles)  in a semi-circular shape.  Of the 275 falls that collectively make up Iguassu Falls, “Devil’s Throat” is the tallest at 80 m in height. Iguazu Falls are on the border between the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, and are surrounded by two National Parks (BR/ARG).

 Both are subtropical rainforests that are host to hundreds of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

2.Niagara Falls

   Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a Canadian city at the famous waterfalls of the same name, linked with the U.S. by the Rainbow Bridge. Its site on the Niagara River's western shore overlooks the Horseshoe Falls, the cascades' most expansive section. 

 

Elevators take visitors to a lower, wetter vantage point. The riverbank features a promenade and an observation deck atop 520-ft.-high Skylon Tower.

3.Plitvice Waterfalls

 

  The series of waterfalls that link the 16 lakes of the Plitvice Lakes National Park are what makes this scenic piece of landscape the most popular natural attraction in Croatia. Situated among forested hills near the Bosnian border, the small streams, lakes and waterfalls form an appealing water garden that invites exploration. A series of plank walks, bridges and platforms make it easy to wander the park by foot. Free boat rides take passengers from the upper to the lower lakes where visitors can view Veliki Slap, the country’s tallest waterfall.

4.Gocta Cataracts

 

 Well-known to locals for centuries, this towering waterfall remained a secret from the rest of the world until as recently as 2005, when German explorer Stefan Ziemendorff became the first outsider to witness it. Located in a remote Amazonian province in Peru, the Gocta Cataracts is one of the world's tallest waterfalls. Though accurate measurements of its height have yet to be taken, an initial estimate placed it as the third highest in the world.
Locals kept the location secret because they feared that revealing its whereabouts would release the curse of a beautiful blond mermaid who is rumored to live in the waters.

5.Jog Falls

  Jog Falls are located in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. Four cascades, known as Raja, Rani, Rover and Rocket merge to form the huge waterfall on the Sharavathi river.

 

The falls are locally known as Geruoppe Falls, Gersoppa Falls and Jogada Gundi. Jog itself is a Kannada word, which means falls.
Jog Falls are unique in that the water does not stream down the rocks in a tiered fashion; it thunders down the slope losing contact with the rocks, making it the tallest un-tiered waterfall in India.
The beauty of the waterfalls is enhanced by the lush green surroundings, which provide a scenic backdrop. 

6.Gullfoss

  Gullfoss is in the river Hvítá (engl. white river), which has its origin in the glacier lake Hvítávatn (engl. white river lake) at Lángjökull glacier about 40km north of Gullfoss.

The waterfall Gullfoss Tobias Klose, Scuba Diving in Iceland Glacial water is brownish, since it carries lots of sediments that the glacial ice has carved off the earth. Gullfoss is called the "Golden Falls", since on a sunny day the water plunging down the three step staircase and then tumbeling in two steps down into the 32 m deep crevice truly looks golden.

To stand at Gullfoss and wallow in the beauty and the wonder of nature is an uplifting experience. One feels more energetic when leaving Gullfoss than when arriving. That's the impact these unique nature sites such as Gullfoss and Geysir have on us.

Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson who owned the waterfall in the first half of the 20th century must have felt the same. She lived at a farm nearby and loved Gullfoss as no one else.

At this period of time much speculation about using Gullfoss to harness electricity was going on. Foreign investors who rented Gullfoss indirectly from the owners wanted to build a hydroelectric powerplant, which would have changed and destroyed Gullfoss forever.

As the story goes it's thanks to Sigríður Tómasdóttir that we still can uplift ourself with the beauty of Gullfoss, because she was the one that protested so intensly against these plans by going as far to threat that she would throw herself into Gullfoss and therby kill herself.

To make her threat believeable she went barefoot on a protest march from Gullfoss to Reykjavik. In those days the roads weren't paved and when she arrived after 120 kilometers her feet were bleeding and she was in very bad shape.The people believed her and listened and the powerplant at Gullfoss was never built.
Today one can see the memorial site of Sigríður that decipts her profile at the top of the falls.

7.Nanning Detain Waterfall

Located in Shuolong Town，Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Detian Waterfall originates from the Guichun River which passes Vietnam and winds back Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. When the Guichun River arriving at the bluff in Detian Village, Daxin County, then the Detian Waterfall formed. Up on the about 200-meter wide bluff, the waterfall pours down with the drop of 70 meters. 

 

Visitors can the resonant roars kilometers away. If who visit the waterfall early in the morning, he would enjoy the rainbow when the rising sun shining on the mist upon the waterfall.
The Detian Waterfall is divided into three layers: the upper layer, the gradual slope, and the lower layer. In the upper layer, the water rushes along the almost vertical bluff, and pours down into the deep pool with silvery spray splashing upon the pool. Then the waterfall comes to the gradual slop, in which the waterfall has an opportunity to relax after the onrush before and gather momentum for the grandest lower layer. In the lower layer, the water rushes down and open a marvelous natural picture with wide water screen and surrounding green trees. In summer, the Detian waterfall has the largest water flow.

8.The Blue Nile Falls

   The Blue Nile Falls are one of the greatest falls in Africa. It is located in Ethiopian plateau, passing the Blue Nile River. This waterfall is also known as Tis Issat meaning smoking water, as the continuous dropping of water creates a smoke-like bounce of water droplets. The Blue Nile Falls has an enormous height of 37 to 45 meters or around 150 feet and its width is estimated at about half a mile. Watching the river water drop down the waterfalls is truly breathtaking.

 

Various trips can be arranged in order to reach the Blue Nile Falls as it is a main tourist spot in Ethiopia. There are many locals that make their income from the benefits of tourism; many are selling food and drinks like calabashes and sodas. Also many people are also selling charms, souvenirs and walking sticks. For accommodation, there are hotels available a few kilometers away from the falls. If planning to visit the falls, it is recommendable to wear comfortable clothes as the trail on the way to the falls is quite bumpy. The flora around the falls can also be appreciated; there are many plant species endemic only to that area. The Blue Nile Falls are also enriched with different types of wildlife that can only be found in Ethiopia.
Currently, a hydroelectric station was built in order to divert the flow of water to the falls for electrical purposes. This has caused a decrease in the flowing water of Blue Nile Falls, however, the full beauty of the falls can still be appreciated during Sundays and holidays because the hydroelectric station only operates during weekdays. For this reason, it is advisable to visit on Sundays. Prepare everything and enjoy nature’s great miracles: go see the Blue Nile Falls!

9.Victoria Falls

   Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world.
Columns of spray can be seen from miles away as, at the height of the rainy season, more than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge, over a width of nearly two kilometers, into a gorge over one hundred meters below.
 

The wide, basalt cliff over which the falls thunder, transforms the Zambezi from a placid river into a ferocious torrent cutting through a series of dramatic gorges.
Facing the Falls is another sheer wall of basalt, rising to the same height, and capped by mist-soaked rain forest. A path along the edge of the forest provides the visitor prepared to brave the tremendous spray, with an unparalleled series of views of the Falls.
One special vantage point is across the Knife-edge Bridge, where visitors can have the finest view of the Eastern Cataract and the Main Falls as well as the Boiling Pot, where the river turns and heads down the Batoka Gorge. Other vantage points include the Falls Bridge, Devils Pool and the Lookout Tree, both of which command panoramic views across the Main Falls

10.Dudsagar Falls 

 The magnificent Dudhsagar Waterfall is perched in the high peaks of the Western Ghats and is a sight to behold especially in the monsoons when it is in full and furious flow. From a distance, the waterfall appears like streams of milk rushing down the mountainside. The exhuberent and spectacular waterfall is located in the Sanguem taluka.

Measuring a mighty 600m from head to foot, this waterfall on the Goa-Karnataka border, attracts a steady stream of visitors from the coast into the rugged Western Ghats. After pouring across the Deccan plateau, the headwaters of the Mandovi River form a foaming torrent that splits into three streams to cascade down a near-vertical cliff face into a deep green pool.

The Konkani name for the falls, which literally translated means "sea of milk", derives from clouds of milky foam which rises up at the bottom of the falls. Dudhsagar is set amidst breathtaking scenery overlooking a steep, crescent-shaped head of a valley carpeted with pristine tropical forest, that is only accessible on foot or by train.

Like most places in Goa, the Dudhsagar waterfall too has a legend attached to its name. The legend tells the story of this powerful and wealthy king who ruled a kingdom in the Western Ghats. His lavish and opulent palace in the hills was surrounded by vast gardens which were full of deers and gazelles.

The King had a beautiful daughter, who used to enjoy taking a bath during the hot summers, in the picturesque lake near the forest on the edge of the King's palace grounds. It was her habit to finish her bath and have a jugful of sugared milk in a jug made of pure gold.

One day when she was finishing her usual jug of milk she found herself being watched by a handsome prince standing amongst the trees. Embarassed by her inadequate bathing attire, the resourceful Princess poured the sugared milk in front of her to form an improvised curtain to hide her body, while one of the maids rushed to cover her with a dress.

Thus was the legend born. The sugared milk (dudh) poured down the mountainside and continued to flow in torrents as a tribute to the everlasting virtue and modesty of the Princess of the Ghats. The Dudh Sagar (Sea of Milk) continues to flow to this day and attracts thousands of visitors to one of the most popular and famous tourist spots in the state of Goa.

A number of private operators offer special trips to the Waterfalls and the tours operated by GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corpn) also have Dudhsagar Waterfalls as one of the tour stops.

The falls can also be reached by a train journey from Vasco or Margao. At Collem, in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary near Mollem, there is a railway station where the train stops to pick up passengers for the journey to the waterfalls. There are two trains a day that stop at Dudhsagar Station and it's possible to catch a morning train up and spend several hours at the falls before taking an afternoon train back.

Near the top of the falls, the railway line from Vasco to Londa crosses the mountainside, with excellent views from the train. There also a couple of pools that you can swim in, making Dudhsagar a great place for a day full of fun and frolic. The alternate way of reaching the falls is only advisable between January and May, when the level of the water in the rivers abates enough to permit jeeps to approach the base of the falls.