Built by the Holakrs of the Maratha Empire back almost two centuries ago, Rajwada is a historical palace in the city of Indore. The palace features seven stories and is located near the Chhatris. The structure of this palace is what makes it unique - it comprises two parts, one that is located in the heart of the city and other part in the old part of the town.
The Indo-Saracenic Maratha style architecture of the palace blends in both Western and Maratha elements of architecture, with higher influence of the latter. Maratha architecture is known for its simplicity and aesthetic, enhanced by nuanced details and rhythmic patterns. Rajwada was built by Muslim artists from Mandu, who sought refuge in Malwa with their families. Apart from this palace, these artisans also worked for the Holkar royal family to create more such architectural structures.
Coming to the interesting aspect of the Rajwada - the main part of the palace was completely destroyed during the riots of 1984. Even before the riots, the palace was a state property, but when it was destroyed, the descendant of the Holkar Royal family, Her Highness Ushadevi Holkar, sought permission to rebuild the main Rajwada, which was granted by the Archaeology department of the state.
The new palace was to be built based on the original blueprint of the Rajwada, which was over 200 years old. Architects Shreya Bhatgava and Himanshu Dudwadkar designed the new palace in the exact manner as the original one, and used the same materials and building techniques that were implemented to build the palace by the Muslims of Manda. Materials such as thin bricks, lime mortar, lime plaster, stone bases, wooden columns, and a brick-paved courtyard were used to rebuild or rather replicate the original grandeur of the palace.
The only difference between the old palace and the rebuilt one was that the latter was built considering the seismic structural requirements and features a MS pipe frame to ensure its structural stability in the earthquake-prone zone.
Next place you should visit is Central Museum