The Grand Datia Palace

It is a magnificent palace that went on to inspire Sir Edwin Lutyens, Chief architect of New Delhi. Today, this palace stands in Datia as one of the finest examples of medieval Rajput architecture.

The palace is popularly called Govind Mahal or Govind Mandir by local people. The Datia palace is seven-storied with two floors positioned in the basement. The construction of palace is purely of stone and bricks with no trace either of wood or iron.

– This palace stands in Datia as one of the finest examples of medieval Rajput architecture

Datia palace is one of the great examples of Indo-Islamic architecture in India. A blend of Rajputani and Mughal styles gives it a luxurious look. The palace has a square plan with a domed tower at each corner and string courses of stone lattice work. The main entrance is on the eastern side, while the south opens out to a lake, the Karna Sagar. Another structure with apartments for the royalty stands in the central courtyard. It is connected by flying bridge corridors to the middle of each side. Datia Palace has around 440 rooms and many courtyards. The facades are decorated with bracketed balconies which are intricately carved. Many of the ceilings inside the palace have borders and medallions which resemble the rare carpets from Persia and well-preserved Persian style motifs.

– A blend of Rajputani and Mughal styles gives it a luxurious look

The walls of Datia Palace are adorned with incredible paintings. The palace preserves some of the finest wall paintings of the Bundela School of Art. These pictures were made using organic colors (extracts from fruits and vegetables). There is a Ganesha Temple, Durga Temple and also a Dargah inside Datia palace complex. The beautiful entrances, vast courtyards, elegant windows, stunning views of the city are some of the incredible attractions inside Datia Palace.

The Palace was built by Vir Singh of Orchha and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Bundela architecture in the country. It is the best surviving example of the Bundelkhand style of architecture that arose in the late 16th and early 17th centuries in the Bundelkhand area under the reign of the Bundela Rajputs. The palace inspired Sir Edwin Lutyens, who termed it “One of the most interesting buildings architecturally in the whole of India”.

Today, unlike Orchha, which is popular with tourists, the visitors to Datia are only few and far in between.

– LHI TRAVEL GUIDE

Datia Palace, in Datia district is situated nearly 75 kms away from the city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The nearest airport is Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Airport, Gwalior at a distance of around 95 kms. Datia has its own railway station which is about 3.5 kms away from the palace.