The Lal Bagh Palace was built by Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar in the year 1886. The construction took 31 years to complete. The beautiful three-storey palace is situated on the outskirts of Indore on the banks of the river Khan. The palace is a manifestation of the lifestyle of the Maratha rulers. Spread over an area of 11, 3312 sq. m. the Lal Bagh Palace architecturally resembles the new palace of the Holkars. The palace also houses a coin collection which is from the Mughal period.
The main gates of Lal Bagh Palace are a replica of the gates of London’s Buckingham palace; in fact, they were shipped from England. The whole complex covers a total area of 28 acres. The palace also exhibits many contemporary Indian and Italian paintings and sculptures. The ravishing decorations inspired by the Versailles Palace uses Italian marble columns, grand chandeliers, Persian carpets and flying nymphs on the ceiling. The palace has a grand ballroom which has wooden floor mounted on springs for an extra bounce. Other attractions of the palace are furnished rooms with beautiful carvings on the walls as well as the ceilings and the rose garden. The rooms of the palace have been restored, furnished and converted into a museum. Much of the furniture and ornamentation belongs to late Regency and early Georgian style.
