Digvir Niwas Palace

Digvir Nivas Palace is located in the Indian state of Gujarat. More specifically, this Nivas Palace is situated in Vansda in the district of Surat. Vansda is known to be a municipality area. Digvir Nivas can also be said to be located along the banks of the River Kaveri in Vansda. Globally, this palace can be pinpointed at coordinates 20 degrees 45 minutes 46 seconds north and 73 degrees 21 minutes 27 seconds east. It occupies an area of about 557 square kilometers.

Digvir Nivas Palace in Gujarat was built in the earliest decade of 20th century, more specifically, in the year 1781. Like most of the architectural marvels built by the rulers of Vansda during that time, this palace is also situated on the banks of river Kaveri. Maharaja Virsinhji is credited with the establishment of Digvir Nivas Palace. Future rulers got this palace renovated several times. The building was also provided with newer additions to ultimately emerge in its present shape.

Digvir Nivas Palace is a fine representation of aristocratic architecture and splendor with remarkable designs and intricate work. The setting of the palace is reminiscent of British castle designs and French chateaux. Its gate has been decorated using plaster. Chhatris are evident on either side of the gate. They are octagonal in shape. The gate is considered to be a remarkable feature of the palace lending elegance to the entire palace.

The palace is considered to be a low-profile building having a linear fashion. In most parts of the building, masonry is done with ashlar stone. The facades of the palace are characterized by carved balustrades, brackets, arches, pediments and columns. The rooms of the palace are provided with curved overhanging windows for curtains along with columns for protection. These rooms have been adorned with stained and colored glasses, which adds a unique effect to the rooms. The palace is also provided with verandahs, which can be seen by the visitors as semicircular or octagonal shaped hanging parts. All the gateways of the palace itself are decorated using white plaster. This has created a beautiful interplay of textures. The roof of the palace is a steep sloping Mansard. Each mansard has decorations on top to create an appealing edifice.

Apart from the palace building, there is a gymkhana or His royal gymnasium within the palace compound. This gymnasium reminds of the European style of architecture. The gymkhana will also similar to an English cricket pavilion in its structure. The gymkhana has been constructed using Mangalore tiles to bedeck its interior. It has sloping roofs along with wooden trusses.

The history of Vansada State can be traced back at least 750 years, with its rulers belonging to the Chalukya (Solanki) Rajput clan. Over the centuries, Vansada emerged as an important princely state, serving as its capital until India attained independence in 1947. The present-day fortified town of Vansada was established in 1781 by Maharaval Virsinhji, also built the elegant palace. He chose a scenic location along the banks of the Kaveri River, nestled at the southern foothills of the Sahyadri range. Prior to founding the town, and in accordance with Hindu religious traditions, Maharaval Virsinhji sanctified the site by constructing three temples, namely Vireshwar Mahadev temple, Vireshwari Mata temple, and Virabhadra Hanuman temple. These sacred structures marked the spiritual foundation of the new settlement, reflecting the cultural and religious ethos of the time. There is an architectural similarly between the Digvir Nivas Palace and these monuments as they were built around the same period.

The nearest airport to reach is palace is in Bhavnagar. Bhavnagar is connected by many domestic airlines to Ahmedabad and the neighboring cities in Rajasthan and also with Mumbai. Surat is located in the Mumbai- Delhi -Ahmedabad broad gauge line. Another airport close (111 KM) to Vansda is known to be Gandhinagar Airport.

The nearest railway station to Vansda is in Bilmora through broad gauge and Unai is the station through narrow gauge line. Sidhapur railway station is located at a distance of about 18 km. Some of the other railway stations connecting Vansda are Kevdi Road, Kalv Amba and Vyara. Vansda is reachable on road from Ahmedabad, Surat and Valsad. The nearest road from the railway station is Unai Vansada Road. Roads leading to Vansda are motorable by buses, both private buses and the ones operated and managed by the state transport corporation and taxis. Vyara, Netrang Town, Ghoda Peer Mohalla are the cities close to Digvir Niwas Palace.