Vijaya Vilas Palace

Having spent two days at Dhordo City, Rann Utsav it was now time for us to leave for Mandvi which was just two and a half hours away from it. We wanted to drive only so far so we could relax for one night before travelling for next 8 hours back to Ahmedabad. 

Anyways, we had heard a lot about Vijaya Vilas. The palace, its resort and the beach at Mandvi. Since I am a beach lover, I wanted to spend some time there plus had a great desire to show Palace of the time to my kids Vijaya Vilas.

How Vijaya Vilas Palace looked!

Carvings inside the dome

As we entered the premises, a huge park welcomed us. There were many dogs around. I held my kids aged 6 and 4 tight so they felt safe. But one needs to be very careful there. We were supposed to take off our shoes. As we entered, a spic n span shining marble floor was awaiting with a huge wall window on the front. Just before that window, a royal dining cum guest room looked highly attractive with red regal chairs and beautiful ambiance. There were big frames of killed animals like leopard etc.

Then we went upstairs and it was a wow! We saw a big big verandah in a circular shape with golden coloured spiral stairs leading to another floor. Stairs were dicey and I had to be cautious with kids. Oh, the view of green belt and fountains from the verandah was magnetic. Loved being there. It was a serene and peaceful location. My kids got very excited and started running around peeping out through little windows. The floor above had a mesmerizing view as well. I could visualize royal family living in their big summer resort.

It was good to know that King sometimes hosts dinners and lunches for their esteemed guests. It was a great feeling to visit Vijaya Vilas. You can very well see the carvings inside the dome. The whole palace had gripping ambiance with intricate carvings and beautifully designed windows and doors. One would indeed admire the whole atmosphere.

Beautiful area

I have heard that Vijaya Vilas Palace was a place for many film shoots one of them including ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’. I am a big fan of this movie. I could well imagine how shots would have been taken here and how well the ambiance matched the story of the movie.

A highly recommended monument worth visiting by all tourists coming to Mandvi.

Nidhi KM

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