Archive · 31 May 2025
Modernist Manik Bagh Palace Story Unveiled in New Exhibition
In the 1930s, a Maharaja in India wanted a very modern home, so he hired a German architect named Eckart Muthesius.
This architect designed a special palace called Manik Bagh, blending cool design and modern style.
The palace had air conditioning and cool furniture.
Now, the government uses the building, but the Maharaja's grandson wants to make it a museum to show off its unique history.
The exhibition highlights the friendship between Yeshwant Rao Holkar II and architect Eckart Muthesius.
Manik Bagh, commissioned in 1930, was India's first centrally air-conditioned home and a blend of architecture, arts, and design.
The palace featured innovations like steel-framed windows and a sloped roof covered with custom-made green ceramic tiles.
The palace's furnishings were sold at auction and the building is now used as the headquarters of the central GST and excise commissioner.
The Maharaja's grandson believes the palace could thrive as a museum or design institute.
- Who
- Designed by Eckart Muthesius, for Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II and Maharani Sanyogita.
- What
- Manik Bagh, a modernist palace and ‘total work of art’.
- When
- Commissioned in 1930, completed in 1933.
- Where
- Indore, India
- Why
- To reflect modern aesthetics and democratic ideals.
Descendants of the Maharaja
Government
Use of Manik Bagh
Descendants of the Maharaja
The palace should be a museum or design institute.
Government
Current use of Manik Bagh is acceptable.
- Location
- Indore, India
- Architect
- Eckart Muthesius
- Completion Year
- 1933
- Architectural Style
- International Style
- Commissioned By
- Yeshwant Rao Holkar II and Sanyogita
- Original Purpose
- Family home
