The very religious Madho Singh II transformed this old hunting lodge into a palace in the early 20C with the help of Colonel Jacob. The last maharaja to reign here, Man Singh II, spent his youth in the palace and made it his main residence in 1931, extending the building and decorating it in Art Deco style, in the typical fashion of the period. After independence, the maharaja was unable to maintain his way of life and in 1957 was the first in India to have the idea of converting his palace into a luxury hotel. The Rambagh Palace has retained a little of the magic of his former luxurious lifestyle.