Our History

Foundation of Jai Vilas Palace 1874

The Foundation

The Scindias were one of the five most powerful and prosperous dynasties of India, they established their direct and indirect rule over substantial part of India. The Jai Vilas Palace was built by Maharaja Jayaji Rao Scindia (ruled 1843-1886) as his western style residence. The Jai Vilas is one of the grandest of India’s palaces inspired by European architectural styles and was built as a modern alternative to the old Hindu and Islamic palaces contained within the Gwalior hill-fort. It is said apart from the fact that Maharaja Scindia wanted a new western style residence it was constructed to celebrate a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1876. It was designed by Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Michael Filose in a classicallyinspired style incorporating Doric, Tuscan, Corinthian and Palladian elements, and was built of sandstone painted white.

Visit of Prince of Wales

when two royalties meet

On October 26 1921, Edward, Prince of Wales left Portsmouth to begin a tour of the Indian Subcontinent and Japan that covered 41,000 miles, lasting 8 months. Prince Edward spent four months in India, travelling from Bombay to Calcutta and then from Madras to Karachi. He visited Gwalior state of the Scindias and Jai Vilas Palace too.

The birth of popular leader and compassionate individual Kailashwasi Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia

From Mahadji to Madhavrao

On March 10, 1945, when Yuvraj Madhavrao Scindia was born in Bombay Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia arranged for a special train to take the new Prince back to Gwalior. The train steamed into the Jai Vilas Palace by the railway siding from Gwalior station. The palace was lit up, later when HH Madhavrao was going to be married his baraat returned from Delhi to Jai Vilas Palace by the same siding train that had brought Yuvraj Madhavrao to the palace as a baby.

Visit of Sardar Patel

The makers of modern India

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel the “Iron Man of India” at the Jai Vilas Palace with HH Maharaja Sir
Jiwajirao Scindia the king known for his enormous monetary donation to the Indian government more than any other princely state had donated and who was much admired by V.P. Menon the close assistant of Sardar Patel during his mission of integration of Indian States for his role in promoting Indian unity, Menon mentions the first anouncedment of accession to the Union of India was made by the Maharaja of Gwalior through his diwan M.A. Srinivasan . Maharaja Jiwajirao donated the portrait of Sardar Patel to the Indian parliament he mentioned that `` Here is the man whom I once hated, Here is the man whom I was later afraid. Here is the man whom I admire and love.``

A new journey starts

Rajpramukh

Shri. Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India came to Jai Vilas Palace to administer oath to the first Rajpramukh of Madhya Bharat HH Jiwajirao Madhorao Scindia. Maharaja Scindia had the predominant position in Central India due to the contribution Scindia family had in the History of India from Chhatrapati Shivaji’s time all the way to Indian independence from British rule.

The visit of the head of state of one of the pillars of Non Alignment Movement Yugoslavia

Marshall Tito's Visit

Former President of Yugoslavia Marshall Josip Broz Tito with Maharaja Jiwajirao Scindia of Gwalior (1955) in the Jai Vilas Palace estate. Josip Broz, commonly known as Tito, was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various roles from 1943 until his death in 1980. Here you can see Maharaja Scindia driving his Cadillac with Marshall Tito sitting on his right.

The inaugration of HH Maharaja Sir Jiwajirao Scindia Museum

Dr. Radhakrishnan's Visit

On 12th December, 1964, Rajmata Vijay Raje Scindia, converted the West and South wings of the palace into museum in the memory of her beloved husband HH Maharaja Sir Jiwaji Rao Scindia, the last Maharaja of princely state of Gwalior and was inaugurated by Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakishnan, the then president of India. With course of time, part of the West wings of this palace has also been converted into museum.

A bond of love and reverence

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Visit

There is a famous incidence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee walking bare foot from Patankar Bazaar Gwalior to the Jai Vilas Palace to meet Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia when she left the Congress and joined the Jana Sangh as a mark of respect for the Maharani of Gwalior the place he came from.

Birth of Yuvraj Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia

Jyotiba's blessing

On the first day of New Year in 1971, HH Madhavi Raje gave birth to a son, the heir to the Scindia Maratha dynasty, he was named Yuvraj Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia emperor. On that day Jai Vilas Palace was lit up, poor were fed and offerings were send to various temples and on the auspicious day of Dussehra, some ten months later, Yuvraj Jyotiraditya was taken for the first time to Gwalior, the state of his ancestors.

The Journey Continues

The Living Legacy

The Jai Vilas Palace is a structural manifestation of Maratha power and grandeur in North India. It still is the home of the descendants of the “ The Great Maratha” Shreenath Mahadji Scindia who had a kingdom that stretched all the way from Lahore in today’s Pakistan, to Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra, from the port city of Bharuch in Gujarat to the border of Allahabad now Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. This grand palace is now being preserved and promoted by Her Highness Maharani Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and her team. HH Maharani’s vision is to create empowered communities through initiatives taken by Gwalior’s very own Jai Vilas Palace. Yuvraj Mahaaryaman Scindia has been deeply involved in the preservation and promotion of the palace too, he tries to blend the new age perspective with the Maratha traditions that he has got from his mighty ancestors. The legacy of the great Maratha continues.