Gwalior: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated a gallery-cum-exhibition depicting the history of prominent Maratha commanders at the sprawling Jai Vilas Mahal of Scindias, the erstwhile rulers of Gwalior. Shah was in Gwalior to lay the foundation for the terminal building and expansion of the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Airport. He was welcomed at the Palace as per Maratha traditions. Shah visited the museum in the palace and inaugurated the 'Gatha Swaraj ki-Maratha Gallery' depicting the history of the main Maratha rulers including the Scindias, Gaikwads, Holkars, Nevalkars, Bhosales and the Pawar.


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As per the booklet about the gallery, the word "Swaraj" was first used by Sakharam Ganesh Deoskar in a Bangla book- “Shivajir Mahatva” on the life of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1902. The word "Swaraj" was used by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, the Bhartiya Jan Sangh and Indian National Congress among others, it said. Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the royal descendant, his wife Priyadarshini Raje and their son Mahanaryaman welcomed Shah in the palace.


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Shah later had dinner with members of the Scindia family, sources close to Scindia said. Jai Vilas Palace was built in 1874 by Jayajirao Scindia, the ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior in the British period. The major portion of the palace is now called the "Jiwajirao Scindia Museum". A large portion of the palace is still the residence of some of his descendants including Jyotiraditya Scindia. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, state home minister Narottam Mishra, sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia, and state BJP president Vishnu Dutt Sharma were present on the occasion.


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