Vadia Palace, Rajpipla - The Taj of Gujarat - in its heyday in the 1940s.....and now. Restoration of this priceless heritage should begin soon

Vadia Palace, also known as Indrajit-Padmini Mahal, was built on a 150-acre estate by the last ruler of Rajpipla, Maharaja Vijaysinhji, between 1934 and 1942. Often referred to as the Taj of Gujarat, it is the final symbol of the 600-year rule of the Gohil Rajput dynasty over this principality lying in the lap of the western Satpuras, and hemmed in by the rivers Narmada and Tapti. 

Despite decades of neglect, the majesty of this iconic monument is still evident. It's potential is enormous in these days of liberalisation and globalisation, of the awareness to preserve heritage, of the keen interest in history, and of the endless possibilities for promoting tourism.

  

One of the last palaces to be built in India, and one of the most expensive at Rupees 4,00,000, a huge sum in the 1930s, it was centrally air-conditioned, a novel concept in those days. Exquisitely designed with great taste in Indo-Saracenic style, the grand palace was built using the finest Italian marble and Burma teak. There are beautiful frescoes on the walls by Polish artist and interior decorator Armande Herman Vallee Wolinski (Armande Vallee). 

  

It is expected that work on the restoration of this great heritage will begin soon, It is planned to put the property to appropriate use by setting up an international class resort therein.

It should, hopefully, not be long before the world begins to marvel once again at this work of art, at the same time enjoying the enchanting natural beauty of Rajpipla. The wheel does come a full circle sometimes.

A snapshot of Rajpipla State

A first-class princely state, the largest in the Rewa Kantha Agency of the Bombay Presidency, at the time of merger with the Union of India in 1948, Rajpipla was ruled by the Gohil Rajput dynasty for 600 years. Around 1340, Kumar Shri Samarsinhji Mokhdaji, second son of Thakur Mokhdaji Ranoji Gohil (reign 1309-1347) of Ghogha, in present-day Gohilwar in south Saurashtra, was adopted by his maternal grandfather Rao Chokrana, a Parmar Rajput prince of Ujjain (Malwa), who was ruling in Rajpipla at the time. Chokrana Parmar’s daughter was the younger queen of Mokhdaji Gohil. When Chokrana died without a male heir, Samarsinhji succeded to the gadi of Rajpipla at Junaraj (Old Rajpipla) Fort deep in the forests of the Satpura hills, and assumed the name Arjunsinhji. The rule of the principality of Rajpipla thereby passed on to the Gohil Rajput clan. Mokhdaji’s first son Dungarsinhji by his elder queen succeeded him to the gadi of Ghogha (later Bhavnagar) with its capital at Pirambet island in the Gulf of Cambay.

The 13-gun salute Rajpipla State was situated largely between the rivers Narmada and Tapti. Spanning an area of about 4,000 square kilometres, of which 1550 square kilometres were forests, the rest being fertile agricultural plains and river valleys, Rajpipla grew to be one of the most prosperous princely states in Gujarat, second only to Baroda. It was also known for its cornelian and agate mines, and the famous Cup of Ptolemy is reputed to have come from the mines at Limbodra in Rajpipla State. Its capital town of Rajpipla (Nandod or New Rajpipla) is now headquarters of Narmada district.