This 7-storey palace was built by Veer Singh Bundela to welcome the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Flanked by a rain-fed Lake on one side and the Datia town on the other, this hilltop Palace is surely a wonderful work of architecture.
The height of the palace is evident from the fact that it can be seen from far away. People travelling on the highway from Delhi to Jhansi can see it from the highway itself, as it is tall and built on a hill. Constructed in the typical Rajputana style, this palace is full of carved out arches, ventilated rooms, painted ceilings and galleries. But the palace never could fulfill what it was made for, as the Emperor Jahangir decided not to come.
If you are to visit the Palace, make sure you do it early in the morning as you will find it at its best at that time. If you reach the place before 8, you will probably find it locked. But don’t worry; you can call the security guard from his home which is very near by. Another wise thing to do is to act decent and convince the security guard to open all the floors of the palace for you. He may not do that, as all the floors are locked separately. The top floor of the palace is the best, as it gives a lovely view of the whole area from a very good height. Also, the dome on the top floor is beautifully decorated with story-telling paintings.
The King of the Bundela clan was a blood relative of the King of Orccha and thus was the second most respected king in Bundelkhand. The state he ruled on was known as the Datia State and is still a district in Madhya Pradesh. Well connected by highways to cities like Gwalior and Jhansi, it is a small trade centre with not too many businesses doing very well. However, the Datia palace sill remains a towering structure which must be on your list if you planning to visit this area.
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