Built in 1809, Jai Vilas Palace is located in the new city of Gwalior. It is the house
of the present Maharaja of Gwalior. Lt. Col. Sir Michael Filose designed this palace. 35 of the rooms have been converted into the Scindia Museum and the rest of the rooms reflect the splendour and glory, which comes alive in the Italianate structures.
Built by the Maharaja Jiyaji Rao Scindia, the palace is adorned with furniture from Versailles, ornate mirrors, Venetian cut glass swing, two Belgian chandeliers (each weighing 3.5 tons and measuring 12.5 m high), handmade carpet (the largest in Asia 40 m long), a huge dining table and an antique Rolls Royce.
Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior
History of Gujari Mahal
The Gujari Mahal seems to have survived the passage of Time and has a well preserved and ornate exterior. The interior houses
an archeological museum that has an extensive collection of Jain and Hindu sculptures, archeological pieces from 1st and the 2nd century B.C, copies of Bagh cave frescoes and Terracotta items.
Legend has it that Raja Man Singh while on a Hunt, chanced upon Mrignayani, a Gujar tribal separating two buffaloes locked in combat. The captivated king won her consent to becoming his ninth queen after fulfilling her two demands ? that he build her a separate palace, and have a canal dug to bring the water of her village Rai, for her everyday use.
About Fort
This fort is situated at Gopachal, nearly 100m above the town of Gwalior. It’s width ranges from nearly 1km, to less than 200m. The walls,
which encircle the fort, are solid and nearly 10m high. In places the cliff overhangs and elsewhere it has been clipped to make it steep and hence unscalable. It earned the reputation of being North and Central India’s most impregnable fort. Babur described the fort as, “The pearl amongst fortresses in India”.
The fort also enjoys the advantage of an unlimited water supply, as there are many water tanks on the plateau.
The fort can be approached from the south or the northeast. The latter approach starts from the archaeological museums and leads to the doors of the Man Singh Palace. The southern entrance is via the URBAI GATE and goes past the cliff face with Jain Sculptures on it.



