Palaces · 1874
Jai Vilas Palace
European grandeur in the Scindia court
Timings
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed Wednesdays
Entry fee
₹300 (Indian) · ₹800 (foreign national)
Best time
Late morning, on a weekday
Time needed
2 hours
History & culture
Commissioned by Jayajirao Scindia in 1874, Jai Vilas Palace borrows freely from Tuscan, Italian-Doric and Corinthian architecture — a deliberate statement of a princely state at the height of its wealth.
The Durbar Hall is the centrepiece: gold leaf across the ceilings, mirrored walls, and two chandeliers said to be among the largest in the world, hung only after elephants were walked across the roof to test it.
Part of the palace is now the Jiwaji Rao Scindia Museum, displaying royal carriages, weapons, textiles and the celebrated silver model train that once carried after-dinner drinks around the banquet table.
Gallery
Virtual tour
Look around without leaving
Drag across the panorama to change your view, and tap the marked points for the story behind each detail.
Interactive 360° view · drag to look around
Durbar Hall
Points of interest
The great chandeliers
Each chandelier carries hundreds of candle-lamps and weighs several tonnes. The roof was tested with elephants before they were installed.