Life style news. Samarjit Singh Gaekwad, a royal scion of the Gaekwad dynasty and Maharaja of Baroda, is the current owner of Lakshmi Vilas Palace, and lives there with his wife Radhikaraje Gaekwad and other family members. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Rs 15,000 crore Antilia mansion is one of the most expensive private homes in the world.
But do you know that there is such a 'house' in India in comparison to which even Britain's royal Buckingham Palace seems small? We are talking about Lakshmi Vilas Palace, also known as Baroda Palace. It is the ancestral home of the Gaekwad royal family, the former rulers of Vadodara (then Baroda) in Gujarat.
Let's know more about this grand palace
The world's largest private residence
Built in 1890 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the Gaekwad royal family at an estimated cost of £180,000 (Rs 25,00,000), Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara is the largest private residence in the world. Which is bigger than Buckingham Palace, the luxurious residence of the British royal family in London, United Kingdom, and Antilia, the luxurious house of Rs 15,000 crore of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani. By many estimates, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace is four times bigger than Buckingham Palace and the Antilia Gaekwad royal palace owned by Mukesh Ambani looks tiny in comparison.
Who is the owner of Lakshmi Vilas Palace and who lives there?
Samarjit Singh Gaekwad, a royal descendant of the Gaekwad dynasty and Maharaja of Baroda, is the current owner of Lakshmi Vilas Palace. Samarjit Singh Gaekwad got the palace along with a major part of the Gaekwad family's property in an agreement signed in 2013 and since then he has been living here with his wife Radhikaraje Gaekwad and other family members. The Gaekwad royal family lives in a part of the palace, while the remaining part has been converted into a museum, which is visited by millions of tourists every year.
How big is Lakshmi Vilas Palace?
Spread over 700 acres or 3,04,92,000 square feet, Lakshmi Vilas Palace has 170 rooms, and also has a huge garden, a large stable for horses, swimming pool and even a private golf course. British engineer Major Charles Munt is considered to be the chief architect of this huge palace, which is today the most expensive private house in the world.
Lakshmi Vilas Palace Price
According to various reports, the estimated price of Lakshmi Vilas Palace is Rs 24,000 crore, which is much more than the estimated price of Mukesh Ambani's Antilia.
Samarjit Singh Gaikwad's net worth
However, there is no public information available about the assets of Radhikaraje Gaekwad and Samarjeet Singh Gaekwad. But various reports have pegged the royal couple's net worth at around Rs 20,000 crore, based on the wide range of properties owned by the family across the country.
Samarjeet Singh is also a former first-class cricketer
Samarjit Singh Gaekwad, born on April 25, 1967, is the son of Ranjit Singh Pratap Singh Gaekwad and Shubhangini Raje and is the current ruler of the erstwhile Baroda state. Apart from his royal duties, Samarjit Singh is also a former first-class cricketer, having represented Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. A descendant of the Gaikwad family has also been the President of Baroda Cricket Association.
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