Indore News: Lost Heritage; Shiv Vilas Palace Faces Slow Silent Death

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As India marks World Heritage Week, Indore is confronted with an uncomfortable truth. One of its grandest Holkar-era palaces has been left to rot in plain sight. Shiv Vilas Palace once a symbol of royal prestige and architectural brilliance stands today as a crumbling relic fighting a losing battle against time, neglect, and encroachment.

Built in 1894 by Maharaja Shivajirao Holkar, the palace was a masterpiece of Indo-Classical architecture. Known earlier as Indra Bhavan and later as Shiv Vilas Palace or Naya Rajwada, it was constructed with meticulous craftsmanship under engineer Gopalrao at an extraordinary cost of Rs 4 lakh, a fortune in its time. 

Beneath this regal structure existed a 15-feet-deep underground garden equipped with separate hot and cold water channels, a technological marvel unmatched even today. But what remains now is a heartbreaking contrast to its glorious past. 

The palace that once echoed with royal footsteps is today swallowed by constructions, commercial complexes, garment shops, and even a liquor shop operating near it's premises. Its pillars are cracked, staircases overgrown with moss, and massive trees split the structure apart as if nature itself has taken charge of its demolition.

“The palace hasn’t just been neglected it has been abandoned to die,” says historian Zafar Ansari, who has documented its decline for decades. 

According to him, the destruction around Shiv Vilas Palace is not accidental but the outcome of years of administrative indifference. “This entire zone was once part of the palace complex. Today, not even a fraction of its dignity survives.”

"While the Smart City programme has rejuvenated Rajwada, Gopal Mandir, Harirao Holkar Chhatri, and Gandhi Hall, several heritage structures like the Old Daly College building, Rampur Kothi, and Rani Sarai continue to decay in silence — much like Shiv Vilas Palace," Ansari added.

Chilling reminder: Rajwada sold for Rs 16 lakh

Ansari points out a chilling reminder that Rajwada itself was once sold for Rs16 lakh before citizens fought to reclaim it. “Had people not risen in protest, even Rajwada would have disappeared under a commercial tower by now," he said.

Today, Shiv Vilas Palace is on the brink of that same fate only this time, no movement has begun, no voices have risen, and no authority appears concerned, he added.

If immediate action is not taken, Indore may soon lose yet another irreplaceable chapter of its royal history not to time, but to apathy, he urged the administration.