The Laxmi Vilas Palace, the residence of the Gaekwads, the erstwhile rulers of Baroda, is going hi-tech.

Now visitors at one of the grandest palaces in India can afford to tour the palace without the help of any guide.

All they have to do is just plug in an earpiece and listen to the elegantly narrated history of the palace on an mp3 gadget — called Audio Tour.

The one-hour audio tour has been divided into 11 sections that the palace has, which are now divided between the royal scion Ranjitsinh Gaekwad and crown prince Samarjit Gaekwad. In the mp3 tracks, the royals reminiscence about the family history, their upbringing and memories of their ‘home’.

There is a detailed talk on its foundation, architectural structure, experts involved in it, its design, foreign connection, sculptures, carvings, its purposes and lot many things that have been a part of this edifice.

The audio tour, embellished with musical notes and extra effects for each section, makes the tour more lively, and effortlessly transports the listener to a bygone era.

Incidentally, this is also the first time that the Gaekwad family has, along with the Fatehsinh Museum, initiated steps in the form of an audio guide, which talks about little known and well known things of the palace.

Samarjit said: “It is a common feature in Europe, but very few palaces in India have such facilities for audio tour guide. It becomes very helpful when one doesn’t have trained tour guides. Besides, it also offers visitors a leisurely tour at their own pace.” He said they have around 700 visitors every month and the mp3 audio tour in English and Hindi is being appreciated.

Incidentally, Radhikaraje, Samarjit’s wife made a special effort to script the talk. Delhi-based Sound Central, probably the only Indian firm in such work, has made the audio tour. Mona Joshi of Sound Central, said: “This is the result of a long research, patience and meticulous work. For the Laxmi Vilas Palace, it took a month after the recee to get the script approved.”

She said it helps visitors do away with long or short narration by guides and wrong facts.

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Now-be-your-own-guide-at-Laxmi-Vilas-Palace/334992/