Palaces in India have always been a visual treat. Be it the resplendent residences intricately carved and decorated or those that showcase engineering marvels – Indian palaces have always inspired beauty, magnificence, and power.Apart from being majestic monuments, these palaces are worthy remains of India’s long history. Many of them have withstood the test of time and showcase a bygone era. I have always been fascinated by how architects and workers functioned in the past with their primitive tools.
In 1970, Indira Ghandi transferred the legal titles of kings to honorific titles. She also imposed a wealth tax on the royalty. Properties could be placed in trust to the government and were eventually reopened as museums or schools. Under this plan, royalty could keep their own landholdings, subject to taxes, of course. With the prohibitive costs of managing their large estates in a post-independent, egalitarian India, most of the country’s royalty chose to convert their homes (and by that we mean massive colossal palaces which would require GPS to navigate through them) into luxury hotels. And it’s more interesting than anything you could learn in a classroom, because it offers some mind-bending luxury as a side benefit.
We stayed in three palaces along our route. . . . . Great digs.
