By Bharat travel guidePrag Mahal and Aina Mahal (the Palace of Mirrors) stand side-by-side inside the historic royal Darbargadh complex in the heart of Bhuj, the royal capital of Kutch in Gujarat. Built during the golden age of the Jadeja dynasty in the 18th and 19th centuries, these twin royal palaces represent two strikingly distinct architectural philosophies: Aina Mahal is an exquisite Indo-Saracenic dream of Venetian mirrors and Belgian chandeliers crafted by the legendary master artisan Ram Singh Malam, while Prag Mahal is an imposing 19th-century Italian Gothic palace featuring a soaring 45-metre clock tower offering 360-degree panoramas across Bhuj city.
Aina Mahal: The 18th-Century Palace of Mirrors
Commissioned around 1752 CE by Maharao Lakhpatji, Aina Mahal was designed by Ram Singh Malam, a Kutchi artisan who had lived in Europe for 18 years learning glassblowing, tile making, clock manufacturing, and stone engraving. The palace is world-famous for its Hira Mahal (Mirror Hall), where walls and ceilings are covered in thousands of hand-cut Venetian mirrors separated by gilded stone pillars, with a central pleasure pool surrounded by fountains and silver candelabras.
Prag Mahal: Italian Gothic Grandeur in Kutch
Commissioned in 1865 by Maharao Pragmalji II and designed by the renowned British architect Colonel Henry Saint Clair Wilkins, Prag Mahal is constructed from red sandstone and Italian marble. Highlights include the magnificent Durbar Hall with Corinthian columns, classical European oil paintings, antique taxidermy exhibits, and the 150-foot Clock Tower that visitors can ascend to view the entire expanse of Bhuj, Hamirsar Lake, and Bhujia Fort.
