INDIALINE
Complete India Travel Guide

Jai Vilas palace & The Scindia family

In 1875, Jayaji Rao Scindia installed some extra fixtures in his palace to prepare it for a visit by the prince of Wales and his retinue of 1000. Having learned the size of Buckingham palace’s largest chandeliers, he placed an order in Venice for two bigger ones for his Durbar Hall. They weighed about 4 tonnes each, so the Maharaja tested the ceiling strength using 8 or 10 elephants, using a 1650 foot ramp (or a crane). He also had a Silver toy train that chugged around the table dispensing post prandial cigars and brandy.