India's Lone Surviving Opera House Marks 110 Years Since Inception

The Royal Opera House, India's only surviving structure of its kind, is celebrating its 110th anniversary alongside a decade since its reopening. Conceived in 1908 and completed in 1916, the building originally combined European and Indian architectural elements and later transitioned into a full-time cinema hall before closing in the 1990s.

After sitting idle for roughly a quarter of a century, the building was commissioned for restoration in 2007 by the late Maharaja Shri Jyotendrasinhji of Gondal. The family acquired the property in 1952 and used their own funds to revive the historical landmark as a living cultural space rather than a commercial development.

Architect Abha Narain Lambah led the extensive restoration efforts, which required overcoming severe structural damage caused by monsoons and previous alterations. Specialists utilized archival records, old photographs, and even scenes from a 1970s Hindi film to meticulously recreate the original Baroque interiors, stained glass, and chandeliers while upgrading modern acoustics and stage mechanics.