- Jai Villas Palace, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, 1876, one year after completion
Behold, Jai Vilas Palace, home of:
His Highness Ali Jah, Umdat ul-Umara, Hisam us-Sultanat, Mukhtar ul-Mulk, Azim ul-Iqtidar, Rafi-us-Shan, Wala Shikoh, Muhtasham-i-Dauran, Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Shrimant Madhav Rao III Scindia Bahadur, Shrinath, Mansur-i-Zaman, Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior.
Combining taxidermy exposition, archeological museum, photographic obituary, and current residence of the Scindia family, the palace is a stunning monument to the architecture of paradox. Combining EPCOT level futurism, psychedelic taxation structures, and an abiding respect for European architectural uselessness, the palace is a crystallization of wealth so far reaching and unapologetic, that nothing short of heroism is implied.
Read: Wayne Manor.
- Maharaja & Maharani, faithfully inhabiting the seat of power.
- Gorgeous Kodachrome captures with perfect equanimity the vacation moments of king and layman alike. Frighteningly similar to my grandparents vacation slides.
- Fulfilling the promise of heir raising. Straight out of Moonchild.
- While eventually becoming involved in the establishment of Madhya Pradesh wildlife preserves, the Scindia family is reputedly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Tigers. A princely Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia looking uncanny as usual.
- Some of the pelts are hundreds of years old, and in wraggled condition. Not to be outdone, the Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia’s collection was retrofitted into dioramas modeled after NY Natural History Museum.
- Shout out to Yellow Sarah and Adam.
- Royal hunting grounds became State Parks. Forest palaces and became fancy hotels. Maharaja becomes Minister of the Rails, then Minister of Aviation, before becoming beloved Congressman for the remainder of his political career. India celebrates modernity with mobiles for all!
- Palace becomes museum. 35 rooms open to the public, eastern wings still house the living members of the Scindia dynasty, still influential, having weathered, like the Gwalior fort, the waxing and waning of several empires.
- In an effort to upstage his colonial overlords, Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia send friend-colonel on grand tour of Europe. He returned a year later with blueprints for the Jai Vilas Palace. It is completed in 1875, and is an amalgamation of subontinental tributary celebration, continental gaudiness, drawing liberally from Greek ruin and Buckingham palace alike.
- Indian tourist posing before a large mechanical Krsna swing made of gold and glass. It is not a far stretch to imagine this being used in Temple of Doom style Poojas. “Eet iz a tranzmitte for talkeen to Gahd!”
- Durbar Hall, 1000+ seating capacity, where the Maharaja entertained guests. In the foreground is a working toy train made of silver with which the Maharaja would distribute brandy and cigars to guests. I suppose it was operated by early remote control, because reputedly the Maharaja would tease guests by making the train pass them by. Not looking good!
- The Scindias were historical patrons of a rich dynasty of musicians, including the patriarch Tansen, whose remains are possibly enclosed in the Tansen shrine in the Hazira neighborhood. Depicted here are nice array of Veenas, and a bust of Saraswati, goddess of knowledge and music. Also pictured are sitar, sarangi, esraj, and dilruba, a remarkable combination of the sitar and sarangi, hailing from Punjab. Gwalior is also home to the Bangash family, master musicans from Afghanistan, who were favored by the court, and went on to invent the sarod, an Indian adaptation of the persian Rabab, with the addition of metallic fingerboard and sympathetic strings. They went on to create a dynasty of virtuosos, including Amjad Ali Khan and Ali Akbar Khan.
- Gloriously improbably decor. Decadent masterpieces from powerful friends line every hall, including a weapons room, and a garage filled with historically notable chariots and stagecoaches.
- In the foreground, one can see the largest chandelier in the world. In the background, the second largest. Legend holds that to test the integrity of the roof, 8 elephants were led up an earthen ramp and suspended from the vaulted arches. I suppose they held secure, because the lamps are still alight, 100 years later. They shine on many treasures, including the world’s largest rug, handknit over 12 years by inmates at Gwalior fort-prison.
- Before facebook, before photoshop, seminal moments in the life of young kings were cut up and reassembled with scissors and glue.
- Rao was personal friends with an astonishing cross section of history makers. Notable photos hanging behind his walnut desk are tea with Fidel Castro and a handshake with Saddam Hussein. Later that day, we met a young indian boy named Saddam Hussein. Also of note: Mein Kampf is for sale at every train station newstand here.
- Pervasive sense of souls inhabiting their destiny, without the burden of liberalism. A more classical, and arguably workable form of enlightenment than the egalitarian hogwash that swept postcolonial India.
- A delightfully banal portrait of the late king situated in acute betrayal of his Crowleyan pomp. The sigil on the backs of the soccor uniforms at the Scindia school, located in the old fort above the Gwalior prison: 2 cobras, fully vieled, flanking the setting sun.
- Well, hope you enjoyed the tour. We now return to my regularly scheduled diarrhea. See you in the garden, and G-D bless America.
One Comment
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