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Indian States Rajasthan Travel Guide Rajasthan Heritage Hotels
Rajasthan Heritage Hotels
Royal Accommodation
Travel Angel Says: Spread across the erstwhile princely state of Rajasthan are a large number of palaces
and estates that were once home to
families that ruled over India. These
bastions of history, bristling with memories, some pleasant others less so, seats of intrigue, of
coronations, royal residences where durbars were once staged, were abandoned with the passage of time as modern, independent India surged ahead on the road to progress. Since the government had withdrawn the privileges granted under the privy purse, maintaining these magnificent properties, each individually created over centuries, adorned with the best paintings and furniture, and representing different periods of architectural history, were in danger of falling to ruin, even though most continued to serve as residences for the former members of the royal families.Of the 22 princely states and innumerable thikanas or seats of residence of the aristocracy, a small clutch of them have been converted into heritage hotels. These former royal residences, which members of the family have continued to inhabit for generations altogether, are repositories of a gracious lifestyle, a way of living that has all but passed into the realms of fantasy.
With their recent conversion into hotels, though they have managed to keep their flavour as medieval homes intact, these once-forbidden deras have opened their doors to the world. And in doing so, they have ensured that the properties continue to be maintained in a befitting manner, and that a way of living that was losing ground to the 21st century, has been preserved for a little while longer.
As much as the families, the family retainers whose ancestors once served within these royal portals, have continued to find employment. And a slice of history that would otherwise have been irretrievably lost, continues to survive. With one major difference: You too can now be a part of it!
Modern Princes
Rajasthan was always an exotic land, a country that
the Western world fantasised about. Here were to be found the martial races that ruled India, tracing their lineage from the warring gods, and known for their aestheticism as well as their
chivalry. Here were riches to be found, and splendid, rare jewels. Palaces stood the test of time. Great armies went to war. Over centuries, different dynasties ruled from different parts of the country, their kingdoms built on reciprocity with neighbouring
kingdoms. However, it was under the Mughals, first, and the British, next, that an attempt was made to unify the land and breadth of the' country as one nation.Members of the royal houses, and those of the aristocratic order that functioned just under them, drew up an elaborate system that reflected in a lifestyle that consisted of amazing discipline, of great opulence, and sometimes also indulgences. There were hunts and balls, but also elaborate ceremonies; marriages sometimes lasted months, festivals were celebrated with great pomp, and the families ruled with a benevolence that ensured the wellbeing of their states.
In a country such as India where nature takes its toll annually, as much because of droughts as because of floods, the rulers often commissioned their greatest architectural monuments - forts, palaces, temples - to ensure employment and food for the poorest. And from situa-tions of adversity rose great monumental wonders, some of the most exquisite the world has seen.
At the time of independence in 1947, all the states merged into the republic of India, and a modern, democratic nation was born. The royal families were derecognised by the Constitution of India in 1971, and their privileges withdrawn. Fortunately, the lifestyle they represented, ingrained over centuries, has remained untouched. Scions of the great dynasties that once ruled over independent states continue to live graciously, though they are now industrialists, professionals, even hoteliers. The premium positions they occupied by birth have now been replaced by merit, but for those who have managed to convert their ancestral homes into hotels, the ways of the past have become a charming reminder of the spirit now reflected in these heritage properties.
'Khamaghani' say Rajasthani families, welcoming you into their homes and hearts. Hospitality is a courtesy that comes naturally to most Indians, and graciousness is a way of being. No wonder then that courtesies go hand-in-hand with festivals and celebrations that are a part of a way of being in one of the oldest civilisations of the world.
Your Royal Accommmodation
While some of the larger palaces converted into hotels
three even four decades
ago, others have followed suit since the last decade. These include a number of smaller forts, palaces, castles, aristocratic homes and havelis. Provided here is a listing of each location where there is such accommodation, as well as a description of the property. Each location appears in alphabetical order.
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