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The 10 Best Castles in India, India
India, officially the Republic of India (IAST: Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Restaurants in India
1. Mysuru Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,222 reviews
This 1912 structure is one of the largest palaces in the country and contains art from around the world.
Reviewed By monideepad - Bangalore District, India
We reached the Mysore Palace at 1pm sharp and after parking the car in the parking lot, we proceeded to buy the tickets at the counter by the side of the gate, the South Entrance. There are different categories of entrance fares with concessions for students and large groups. For Indian adults it is ₹50/- per ticket whereas for foreign nationals it is ₹200/- per ticket. The Palace, which is presently converted into a museum is one of the most visited tourist destinations of the country. Being a Sunday, there was a huge influx of tourists, predominantly large groups and we had to elbow our way to where we needed to obtain bags, to put our footwear into them and then deposit the bags at the counter after obtaining a token. Before entering in the palace, we spent some time trying to absorb the magnificence of its exterior and to know a bit about it. The historical Mysore Palace, also known as the Amba Vilas Palace, is a royal residence and also the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty at Mysore, Karnataka. It is located in the heart of Mysore and since the Kings of Mysore were devotees of Goddess Chamundi, the palace faces the Chamundi Hills in the eastward direction. The three storey stone structure with a five storey tower rising to the height of 145feet is made of fine grey granite with pink marble domes. It is said to be in the lines of the Inso-Saracenic style of architecture which is a blend of Hindu, Mughal, Neo-Classical and Gothic styles. The construction of the palace took place between 1897 and 1912, in order to replace the old wooden palace that was destroyed by fire.. Set amidst a large, lovely garden, the palace has three entrances, the East Entrance is opened for VVIPs and dignitaries and during Dasara while the West Entrances is opened only during Dasara and the South Entrance which is used by the public. The facade of the palace has several wide and beautiful arches adorning it with a central arch, supported by tall pillars and flanked by two smaller ones. A sculpture of Gajalakshmi with her elephants, the Goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, abundance is placed above the central arch. The entrance gate and arch hold the emblem and coat of arms of the Kingdom of Mysore. The magnificent palace houses two ornate durbar halls, several colossal courtyards and sprawling, splendid gardens. After the preliminary security formalities of passing through metal detectors and baggage check, we entered through a large door and went through the display of gold and silver statues, and many other stately artefacts. We went through the finely chiselled, beautifully embellished doors that led us through wide corridors which had on the walls, beautiful paintings on the wall depicting many processions and elaborate rituals of Dasara celebrations to richly and elegantly ornate rooms. The ceilings and the posts had beautiful patterns crafted on them. The large Durbar Hall with large with exquisite columns richly painted with gold and subtle colours, large candelabras and chandeliers hanging from ornate ceilings, the solid silver doors, the intricately carved mahogany ceilings and many other embellishments of the palace are overpowering in its magnificence and splendour. while giving an idea of the exuberant lifestyle of the royals. Displays in the palace include an array of superb paintings mostly of the kings, queens and their children, gift boxes received from other kings and dignitaries, royal dresses, souvenirs, musical instruments and weapons used by the Wodeyars. At the end of the tour, we come to where the Mysore Dasara Elephants Ornaments that adorn the elephants at the time of the Dasara celebrations are displayed. The size and splendour of the palace far exceeded my expectations... and after strolling through all the rooms open for viewing for almost two hours, we made our exit. Having had the opportunity of visiting some palaces and castles during my recent trip to the United Kingdom, I personally feel that the richness and opulence of the Mysore Palace is at par or even more. But we can go a long way and do much better in terms of managing the tourists, maybe with more manpower, offer better audio-visual aids and professional guides.
2. Golconda Fort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,406 reviews
Reviewed By alokkrs84 - Hyderabad, India
A must visit area for history lovers and it's really a nice place u would love to see the heritage and there is amazing view of Hyderabad city from it. Only issue local guys carve their names on the monuments making it look real bad...sometimes, some places. Yeah the kind of crowd goes in generally is pathetic.
3. Bundi Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 78 reviews
Reviewed By ChBad - Hamburg, Germany
By fortune we got to know Kukki Jr. through a friend. We decided on the spot to see the Bundi Palace together with him. It was the best thing we could do, as we were in company with a person who not only is familiar in detail with all the historical and religious facts, but also really loves to pass his knowledge on to eager tourists. We had a lot of fun too and saw and learned about Bundi so much more than we expected! Thank you Kukki for all the time you spent with us!
4. Lukshmi Vilas Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,292 reviews
Lukshmi Villas Palace is the Official residence of the Maharaja Of Baroda.The royal family still resides in this magnificent palace builtin 1889.A part of the palace is open for visitors during the day 10 am to 5 pm. Mondays is the weekly off day. Weekends can get crowded , so best to come on any other day.The ticket cost Rs. 200 And it includes a complimentary audio tour guide in either english , hindi & marathi.Photographs inside the palace are not permitted. The tour takes about an hour. Water & other cold beverages are available at a charge for visitors
Reviewed By SBahl - New Delhi, India
Lukshmi Vilas Palace, the largest private residence in India, is grand, awe-inspiring, and beautiful. The architecture is a fantastic exposition of Indo-Saracenic architecture; the grounds and carved-out sections like the golf course immaculate; and the collection of art and artefacts exquisite, even by royal standards. A special call out to the collection of Raja Ravi Varma's works, which is the largest at any single place. And another one to the armoury, which has a the best collection of swords I have seen. The museum has audio guides, which makes the experience of visiting the palace much richer. Essential visit while in Baroda. Keep 2-3 hours aside for it.
5. Sinhagad Fort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,717 reviews
Reviewed By AtulB310 - Pune District, India
A must visit place if you are in Pune, Visit this place for its history, thrill , beauty & of course Zunka/ pithla bhakari with Dahi . If travelling by car one can reach near base of fort , still one has to climb 150+ steps , but real fun is climbing from village , this is almost 8 km trek , one should make a climb once .
6. Chitrashala - Ummed Mahal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By PANDR20
This ruinous palace makes a dramatic and extravagant backdrop behind and over the simple little town of Bundi, but climb up through deserted courtyards and bat infested galleries to discover hidden art. Beautiful wall paintings, some Chinese dating back hundreds of years adorn walls and ceilings of old royal apartments. Well worth the effort.
7. Ujjayanta Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 159 reviews
Reviewed By GAnkit - New Delhi, India
This is, by far, the best way to have a thorough insight into Tripura's rich history and its neighboring states. A palace that had disallowed the eldest son of Ishwar Chandra Manikya - Nawadipchandra Manika - to take the throne - now holds up a large potrait of his son Sachin Dev Burman right at the Entrance. Where else can you find self-belief that "Karma is greater than Janma (You are because of your work - not because of your Birth)".
8. Ramtek Gad Mandir
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By neharahulchavhan - Nagpur, India
historic and ancient temple of lord rama, very close to nagpur city, nice view from the top of the gadmandir, best place for a short trip or picnic with family
9. Panchkote Raj Fort Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
This attractive architecture was built between 1913-1917 at Kashipur, the capital of the state of Panchkote, under the reign of Maharaja Jyoti Prasad Singh Deo. The grand palace was built by Martin and Burn Company having a European style architecture.
Reviewed By Ess_Deo
A must visit place to see the heritage and traditions of eastern India especially Bengal. The artefacts on display here are worthy of being in a museum.
10. Red Fort
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 5,494 reviews
This 17th century fort was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857.
Reviewed By roysons - Mumbai, India
Within its magnanimous walls, the chhata bazaar and an every evening sound and light show are special attractions.
