Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, the royal scion of the Gaekwad dynasty and titular Maharaja of Baroda is the current owner of the 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 did you know that there is a ‘house’ in India which even makes Britain’s royal Buckingham Palace look puny in comparison? We are talking about the Lakshmi Vilas Palace, also known as the Baroda Palace, the ancestral home of the Gaekwad royals, the erstwhile rulers of Vadodara (then Baroda), Gujarat.
Let us find out more about this majestic palace;
World’s largest private residence
Built in 1890 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of the Gaekwad royal family at an estimated cost of at a cost of £180,000 (Rs 25,00,000), the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara is the largest private residence in the world, eclipsing even the Buckingham Palace, the luxurious abode of the British Royal Family in London, United Kingdom, and the Antilia– the Rs 15,000 crore mansion home of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.
According to several estimates, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace is reportedly four-times larger than the Buckingham Palace, and Mukesh Ambani-owned Antilia looks like tiny, compared to the Gaekwad royal palace.
Who owns and lives in Lakshmi Vilas Palace?
Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, the royal scion of the Gaekwad dynasty and titular Maharaja of Baroda is the current owner of the Lakshmi Vilas Palace. Samarjitsinh Gaekwad received the palace along with a large chunk of the Gaekwad family fortune in a 2013 settlement, and has since been living there with his Radhikaraje Gaekwad, and other family members.
The Gaekwad royal family lives in one part of the palace while the rest has been converted into a museum which is visited by lakhs of visitors each year.
How big is the Lakshmi Vilas Palace?
Spread over 700 acres or 3,04,92,000 square feet, the Lakshmi Vilas Palace was 170 rooms, and boasts a massive garden, a large stable for horses, swimming pool, and even a private golf course. British engineer Major Charles Mant is regarded as the main architect of the expansive palace, which is today the most expensive private home in the world.
Lakshmi Vilas Palace price
According to various reports, the estimated price of the Lakshmi Vilas Palace is a staggering Rs 24,000 crore, which is much more than the the estimated price tag of Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad and Samarjitsinh Gaekwad net worth
Although there is no publicly available information about the wealth of Radhikaraje Gaekwad and Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, various reports have pegged the royal couple net worth at around Rs 20,000 crore, based on the wide range of properties owned by the family across the country.
Born April 25, 1967, Samarjitsinh Gaekwad is the son of Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad and Shubhanginiraje, and is the current titular ruler of the erstwhile state of Baroda. Apart from his royal duties, Samarjitsinh is also a former first-class cricketer, having represented Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.
The Gaekwad scion has also served as the President of the Baroda Cricket Association.
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