HERITAGE OF INDIA

India's Princes may have passed into history but their palaces are more accessible than ever, Rajasthan, the "land of kings", was a crossroads of European-Asian trade on a southern branch of the Great Silk route. Its merchants' havelis in the desert cities of Jaisalmer or Bikaner testify to the riches such trade brought, but on the wetter and more fertile lands to the east, Princes fought with each other for over a thousand years for the control of territory, trade and tradition. Palaces, forts and temples were the result, producing an astonishing blend of Hindu, Jain and Islamic traditions, which shaped everything from modest country estates to magnificent royal residences. Although Princely States were scattered across India, Rajasthan is widely thought of as the real home of the traditional Maharajas and their often exotic homes.

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A Regal Hospitality

The celebrated Lake Palace and the opulent Fateh Prakash in the City Palace of Udaipur are just two, which have captured the world’s imagination. Yet nearby the immensely hospitable and atmospheric Deogarh Mahal, set above its tiny village, has won the heart of every guest. Sympathetic modernization has also made it possible to stay comfortably at the attractive Samode Haveli in Jaipur’s Old City, or at Samode Palace, beautifully designed and decorated and set in the heart of a largely untouched village. The more modest painted havelis of the Shekhavati merchants, the red sandstone Fort Chanwa at Luni or the exquisite Udai Bilas Palace at Dungarpur are further off the beaten track.

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Taj Mahal - A Monument to Love

The Taj Mahal is an enduring monument to love, with a continually fulfilling beauty. Shah Jahan, fifth of the Great Mughals, was devoted to his favourite wife who was given the title, Mumtaz Mahal (Jewel of the Palace). One of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is a heritage monument that is the pride of India and a favoured Tourist destination.
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Gujarat’s Forts & Palaces

Neighbouring Gujarat, though less visited, also offers an increasing number of elegant mansions and atmospheric forts. Gondal’s Riverside Palace with a beautiful interior, the Digbhuvan at Limbdi, the 17^th century Durbargarh at Poshina in the midst of tribal villages, and the splendidly restored Balaram Palace near Palanpur with a spring-fed swimming pool in a Nawabi garden, are among many worth seeking out.

Across the Subcontinent

The concept of ‘palace hotels’ has spread to other parts of India where ancestral homes are being converted to attract guests. Away from the plains, Himachal is home to Shimla’s exceptional Chapslee House and rambling Woodville Palace, as well as Nalagarh Resort are in the Himachal. You will find the attractive Usha Kiran at Gwalior or the remote Palace Kawardha in the unexplored depths of Madhya Pradesh. In the South, the grand, rather impersonal Lalitha Mahal contrasts with the exemplary environment-friendly ‘Green’ Chittaranjan Mahal at Mysore, while the comparatively modest Bolghatty Palace on Kochi’s tree-lined waterside is re-opening after a facelift.

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