| Palace erected during
the 1930s and '40s. Much of the flooring is in Italian
marble of different colors arranged in various geometric
patterns, such that no two rooms or galleries are floored
alike. At the rear is a marble fountain with intricate
patterns matching the flooring of the gallery in which
it is situated. Over 1000 wooden doors and windows of
the Palace were made from Burma teak. The Palace was centrally
air-conditioned, with ducts still visible on the walls.
It had 11 bedrooms-9 distributed in the 2 storey of the
Palace, a sub-terrenean chamber and a suite facing the
terrace-all with baths attached.The ballroom had a Burma
teak flooring, the sitting room was done up in wall paintings
of dancing girls, the bar room muralled with drunk monkeys,
the drawing room had beautiful paintings of events from
lord Krishna's lifetime, the prayer room has a series
of wall and ceiling frescoes of Hindu deities, the reception
behind the portico is painted with floral and faunal subjects.
As at the Natvar Niwas, the painting was done by Italian
artist Wali, yet the quality of Indian devotional paintings
and other local themes is flaw-less. The drawing room
was illuminated with lights concealed in marble globes,
which were filled also with exotic perfumes. A water circulation
system revolved the marble globes such that the scent
of the perfumes spread in the hall. Elevator took the
royal family and their guests up to the first floor and
on the terrace The kitchen was in an out-house, partially
submerged so that it did not spoil the view from the galleries
or from the intricate rear facade of the Palace. A 30
yard long insulated passage, took food in trolleys to
the pantry in the main building. The Palace is now the
Forest Ranger's College and an Ayurvedic (Pharmacy) College
Other Palaces of Rajpipla are now educational and government
institutions.The Summer Villa Guest House (now Arts and
Science College) was constructed at Rajpipla by Maharaja
Vijay Singhji in around 1930’s specially to provide
star-rated accommodation for his European guests, It has
two spiral wooden staircases, leading to upper floor.
The symmetrical architecture with arches on both sides
of passages, Italian marble flooring and plaster of Paris
false ceilings still exists. |