Bada Rawala Palace Indore

Rao Raja Rao Nandlal Mandloi

Tucked within the winding streets of Juni Indore, Shri Sansthan Bada Rawala stands as one of the city’s oldest and most intimate symbols of power, memory, and architectural heritage. Constructed between 1650 and 1662 by Rao Balram Mandloi, the palace was founded following spiritual guidance from a revered mendicant near the banks of the Kshata (Khan) River. This marked a pivotal shift from Kampel to what would become the heart of Indore—a decision that seeded the city’s eventual identity.

History of Indore

The construction of Shri Sansthan Bada Rawala Palace was completed around 1700. Bada Rawala is the oldest royal palace of Indore. Around 1700, during the rule of Rao Raja Nandlal Ji, the capital of this pargana was changed from Kampel to Indore. Rawala means the palace where “Rao” resides. In front of Shri Sansthan Bada Rawala Rajmahal, there is Khyata (Khan) river and Pedhighat, which are the oldest ghats of Indore and it is considered  a very sacred place for the ascetics to perform and for saints to perform prayer. Black stones, wood, lime and other ancient construction materials have been used in the construction of this palace.

This was the residence of the first ruler of Indore, Rao Raja Rao Nandlal Ji. This is the dynasty of Shri Gaur Brahmin clan. Indore town was under Suba Malwa Pargana Kampel. The palace court was here. The throne of Rao Raja Rao Nandlal Ji is still here. There are a total of 13 squares, elephant sheds and stables in this palace. Rao Raja Rao Nandlal Ji, on the strength of his foresight, has established the beautiful and modern city Indore and with the aim of making Indore a business capital, Rao Raja established a tax-free trade zone in Indore in 1716, due to which today Indore is the business capital.

This historical palace was visited by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Swami Vivekanand Ji, P.P. Shankaracharya Shri Swaroopanand Ji Kanchi Kamakoti Peeth, P.P. Swami Satyamitranand Giri Ji Bharat Mata Temple Haridwar, Former President of India Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Ji, Bharat Ratna Shri Jaiprakash Narayan Ji, C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer, Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar Ji, Saint Mother Teresa Ji, His Holiness Ali Kadar Burhanuddin Syedna Saheb, Kerala Governor His Excellency Arif Mohammed Khan Ji and many other great personalities have visited. Rao Raja Nandlal Ji and his descendants are also considered to be the descendants of Varahamihir Ji in the court of King Vikramaditya. At present, Rao Raja Rao Srikant Ji, the twelfth generation of Rao Raja Rao Nandlal Ji and his family reside in this palace.

श्री संस्थान बड़ा रावला राजमहल ऐतिहासिक स्थल

श्री संस्थान बड़ा रावला राजमहल का निर्माण सन् 1700 के आसपास हुआ है, उससे पूर्व राज परिवार की 8 गढ़ियों में से एक गढ़ी भी। बड़ा रावला इन्दौर का सबसे प्राचीनतम् राजमहल है। सन् 1700 के करीब राव राजा नन्दलाल जी के शासन में इस परगने की राजधानी कम्पेल से बदल कर उनके द्वारा इन्दौर बनाई गई। रावला का अर्थ होता है वह महल जहां ‘‘राव’’ निवास करते हैं। श्री संस्थान बड़ा रावला राजमहल के सामने ख्याता (खान) नदी एवं पेढ़ीघाट है, जो कि इन्दौर के सबसे प्राचीनतम घाट हैं और तपस्वियों को तपस्या करने के लिये यह बहुत पवित्र स्थान माना जाता है, क्योंकि यह दो नदियों के संगम के करीब है। उन्होंने राजमहल के निर्माण में काले पत्थरों, लकड़ी, चूना एवं अन्य पुरातन समय की निर्माण सामग्री का प्रयोग हुआ है।
इन्दौर के प्रथम शासक व संस्थापक राव राजा राव नंदलाल जी के शासनकाल मे यह राज परिवार का निवास स्थान व महल कचहरी रही है। यह श्री गौड़ ब्राह्मण कुल का राजवंश है। इन्दौर कस्बा सूबा मालवा परगना कम्पेल के अन्तर्गत् था। राव राजा राव नंदलाल जी की गादी आज भी यहीं पर है। इस राजमहल में कुल 13 चौक, हाथीखाना व घुड़साल हैं। राव राजा राव नंदलाल जी ने अपनी दूरदर्शिता के बल पर सुन्दर और आधुनिक नगर इन्दौर को बसाया है और राव राजा ने इन्दौर को व्यापारिक राजधानी बनाने के उद्देश्य से सन् 1716 में इन्दौर को करमुक्त व्यापार क्षेत्र स्थापित किया जिस कारण आज इन्दौर व्यापारिक राजधानी है।

इस ऐतिहासिक राजमहल में छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज, स्वामी विवेकानंदजी, प.पू. शंकराचार्य श्री स्वरूपानंद जी कांची कामकोठी पीठ, प.पू.स्वामी सत्यमित्रानंद गिरी जी भारत माता मंदिर हरिद्वार, भारत के पूर्व राष्ट्रपति डॉ. सर्वपल्ली राधाकृष्णन जी, भारत रत्न श्री जयप्रकाश नारायण जी, सी.पी. रामास्वामी अय्यर, भारत रत्न पं. रवि शंकर जी, संत मदर टेरेसा जी, हिज होलीनेस आलीकदर बुरहानुद्दीन सैयदना साहब, केरल गवर्नर महामहीम आरिफ मोहम्मद खान जी एवं अन्य कई महान विभूतियॉं पधार चुकी हैं।
राव राजा नंदलाल जी एवं उनके वंश को राजा विक्रमादित्य के दरबार में वराहमिहीर जी का भी वंशज माना जाता है। वर्तमान में राव राजा राव नंदलाल जी की बारहवीं पीढ़ी राव राजा राव श्रीकान्त जी एवं उनका परिवार इस राजमहल में निवास करते हैं।

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January 2025
January 31 @ 8:00 am – February 6 @ 5:00 pm

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February 2025
February 4 @ 8:00 am – February 14 @ 5:00 pm

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Legacy and Achievements

Today, Shree Sansthan Bada Rawala stands as a tangible link to Indore’s pre-Holkar past – a status recognised by historians and heritage organisations. The fort, dating back to the late 1600s, is Indore’s oldest royal palace and extant structure, predating the commonly known tourist attraction, the Rajwada palace. It has been acknowledged by the Madhya Pradesh government and scholars (e.g. Sahapedia and Indore Gazetteer) as a protected historic site. Architecturally, the Rawala is valued for encapsulating the layers of Indore’s history: the original Rajput-Mughal style fortifications and courtyards are largely intact, while evidence of later periods (such as colonial-era refurbishments and art collections) are also present within. The fort thus offers insight into the syncretic architectural evolution of Indore – from an early-18th-century Malwa stronghold to a 19th-century aristocratic mansion with Indo-European nuances.

Architecture

Bada Rawala’s main gate illuminated at night. The fort’s architecture blends multiple styles – note the arched gateway flanked by bastion-like towers and the domed chhatri pavilion above, reminiscent of Rajput-Mughal design (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)

As the first major fort of Indore, Bada Rawala’s architecture was shaped by the aesthetic milieu of late 17th and early 18th century Malwa. The fort was conceived in a Rajput-Mughal style typical of the era’s regional nobility.

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Shri Sansthan Bada Rawala Palace

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