Laxmi Vilas Palace, an extravagant building of the Indo-Saracenic school, was built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in Year 1890 at a cost of GBP 180,000. Major Charles Mant was the architect. It is reputed to have been the largest private dwelling built till date and four times the size of Buckingham Palace.This magnificent palace is a must visit when in Vadodara. Sprawling across an area of about 700 acres, it is still home to the royal family of Vadodara, the Gaekwads. The lush gardens of the palace add to the beauty of the entire experience of being here. Lucky tourists can spot monkeys or peacocks strutting around. The grounds also include a 10-hole golf course. In earlier times, a small zoo was also a part of the area. What remains today are a small pond and a few crocodiles.The museum building was mainly constructed as a school for the Maharaja’s children. Today, the museum houses an extraordinary collection of paintings by Raja Ravi Verma and various other artefacts gathered from all around the world. A good blend of both foreign as well as local materials and workmanship was used in the construction of the palace. Red stone was brought in from Agra, blue trap stone from Poona, marbles from Rajasthan and Italy were used while twelve workmen from Venice laid down the beautiful montage floor of the Darbar Hall of the palace.
