Rao Pragmalji's Palace, Bhuj

Rao Pragmalji’s Palace is across the courtyard of Bhuj. It was designed by the British engineer Col. Wilkins, but some people believe that he was an Italian. This palace was officially started in 1865 to replace stables and small buildings. It has a wide and large Darbar Hall (25m x 12m) that is 12m high with verandahs, corner towers and zenanas decorated with carving, gilding, Minton tiles and marbles. Good views of surrounding countryside from the tall clock tower are connected to the palace by covered galleries. This palace was built for Rao Pragmalji II (1860-75) by the British architects and the Kutchi builders. Darbar Hall is a museum of Victorian-Edwardian taste with tiger-skins and mounted trophies on the walls, stuffed lions and Art Deco figurines. In one side of the palace, the Logge in Emilia or Romagna and in the second side, the ample terrace are situated. Both these places give us the way to a treeline on the horizon casting shadows into the limpid lake. A jigsaw of red-tiled roofs and trees still deep green months after the monsoon ended is in the third side of the palace. The fourth side has a distant prospective bungalows and offices and the fifth side has panorama which presents a higgledy-piggledy mass of close-fitting buildings in the market (bazaar). A munificent cornucopia of fantastic carved wooden balconies and window-screen enlivens walls are in the opposite side of the palace.
The fee to enter the palace is Rs. 5. The fee of photography and videography is Rs. 50. Sharad Baug Palace, Bhuj

The last Maharao of Kutch, Maharao Madansinhji Jadeja died in the United Kingdom (U.K.) in 1991. After his death, his palace which was situated in the east of the beautiful lake ‘Hamirsar’ of Bhuj was turned into a small museum. This palace was built in 1867 A.D. Sharad Baug Palace has airy and beautiful gardens, a drawing room downstairs and a bedroom upstairs. The dining room is in a separate building. On the display of the palace, there are many of the Maharao’s personal processions.
The beautiful gardens of the palace have nurseries for a range of plants and grass to which leading tennis players were commonly invited. This palace is open for the visitors who want to buy plants from its nursery. This is the most relaxing and luxuriant palace in Bhuj.
Sharad Baug Palace opens daily (except Friday) from 9 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 6 pm. Its fees rates are: entrance fee is Rs. 5, photography fee is Rs. 10 and videography fee is Rs. 25.