15 Magnificent Royal Palaces In India That Shows Indian Royalty

Centuries ago, India was ruled by royal kings, queens, and the noble families who lived in big palaces and maintained a lavish lifestyle. It is indeed a matter of curiosity for history enthusiasts, travel addicts, and lifestyle bloggers to wonder what those palaces looked like and the in-suppressible desire to live in one, for few days or moments if possible.

Here is a list of 15 exclusive palaces which will you a serious glimpse of our rich Indian history:

1. Mysore Palace, Karnataka

This beautiful palace, also called, Ambavila Palace was designed by the architect Henry Irwin. The palace is designed in Indo-Saracenic style, as per the expertise of Irwin. The palace completed in 1912, is decorated with art inspired by different nooks and corners of the world. The palace features several spectacular domes, turrets, 12 Hindu temples, courtyards, and 2 durbars, a pavilion for dolls.

2. The Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Gujarat

The palace also called, Maharaja Palace, located in Vadodara was built by Gaekwad inspired by old classic style. The palace is now used as a concert hall for music and cultural events and as a museum.

3. Marble Palace, West Bengal

The palace, built by Raja Rajendra Mullick, is located in Muktaram Babu Street of North Kolkata. The palace is known for its marble walls and floors. It houses large sculptures, paintings, and other valuable pieces along with a Marble Palace Zoo. The palace is still well-preserved and elegant.

4. Ujjayanta Palace, Agartala

It is situated in Agartala, and was built between 1899-1901 by Maharaja Radha Kishore Manikya Debbarma and stands on the banks of two lakes. It is famous for its tile floors and curved wooden ceilings. The palace is used as a palace and used to reflect the culture, lifestyle, art and traditions of northeast India.

5. Chowmahalla Palace, Telangana

This palace that belongs to the 18th century, is inspired by Mughal and Persian designs. The dreamy gorgeous palace was inhabited by Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The beautiful palace features antique furniture and royal artifacts including Belgian-crystal chandeliers.

6. Bangalore palace, Karnataka

The palace was built in 1878. This magnificent palace was inspired by Windsor Castle and used as a residence by royal families of Mysore, the Wodeyars. The palace features paintings by the famous Raja Ravi Varma.

7. City Palace, Jaipur

This palace consists of sprawling gardens and courtyards built by the Rajput king Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh in 1732. The specialties of this palace are its armory, the Chandra Mahal, a clock tower, the Mubarak Mahal, the City-Palace museum and the most visited Shri Govind Dev temple.

8. Cooch Behar Palace, West Bengal

The palace inspired by Buckingham Palace, London was built under the reign of Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in the 1800s. The palace also called Victor Jubilee Palace is known for its grandeur of ancient royal artifacts, paintings, and chandeliers.

9. Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

Overlooking the city of Jodhpur, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is located on the Chittar hill. It is India’s one of the largest private residences and partially managed by the Taj Hotels. The palace consists of 347 rooms including a museum. The principal architecture of the palace is inspired by Indo-Saracenic, Classical Revival, and Western Art Deco styles.

10. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

The structure was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, who was the founder of Jaipur and designed by Lal Chand Ustad. The architecture of the palace has a unique honeycomb structure with more than 900 ‘jharokhas’ or small windows. The palace is currently one of the most sought after tourist places across the country and beyond.

11. Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, Tamil Nadu

Built in the 17th century by Raja Tirumala Nayaka, the original palace was four times larger than the current structure. The palace located near Meenakshi temple was considered one of the wonders of South India. The architecture of the palace is a blend of Dravidian and Rajasthani styles.

12. Lake Palace, Udaipur

This splendid palace is situated amidst the beautiful and pristine Lake Pichola. Once a royal palace used in the summers by the Mewar dynasty is now a luxurious hotel managed by the Taj Group. The black and white marbles of the walls of the palace are studded with semi-precious gemstones.

13. Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad

The palace which initially belonged to the Paigah family was later owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad. The palace was designed by William Ward Marret. The palace is built in the shape of a scorpion using Italian marbles. Currently, it is run by the Taj Group as a luxury heritage hotel.

14. Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Once a garden house, it was converted to a hunting lodge by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh in 1887. It is now operated as a five-star hotel by the Taj Group.

15. Jai Vilas Mahal, Gwalior

The palace is a blend of Tuscan, Italian-Doric and Corinthian architectural styles. The palace features fancy chandeliers, gold furniture and decorative items in its Durbar hall. The palace is now a museum of royal antiquities, historic documents and weapons used in the royal era.