Nestled amidst a lush green backdrop of rolling hills and sparkling waterfalls of the rich and diverse Eastern-Indian countryside is The Belgadia Palace. An 18th century victorian brick-built double-storey structure in the classical Western style of Doric-Corinthian column, a mixture of Greek and Victorian architecture. Home to the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj, this boutique homestay invites guests to take a trip down memory lane and introduces the idea of purposeful travel by engaging with the local tribal community and through curated tours to truly explore the state of Odisha, the soul of incredible India. This unique blend of old and new is encapsulated at this offbeat location which is an adventure-lovers paradise a few hours from the Simlipal, an Elephant and Tiger UNESCO Biosphere, the second largest national park in India.
At a Glance
The Belgadia Palace’s construction began on the orders of Maharani Sumitra Devi Bhanj Deo in 1804, who ruled the state from 1796 to 1810. In phased development, the palace gets its aura of majesty with intricate designs being added during the rule of her descendants who used it as a royal guest house for state visitors. The present interiors are designed on the orders of the Bhanja dynasties’ most famous ruler Sri Ram Chandra Bhanj Deo, popularly known as ‘The Philosopher King’ for his second wife Maharani Sucharu Devi, daughter of Keshab Chandra Sen, founder of the Brahmo Samaj movement famous during the Bengal Rennaisance.
The View
The palace sits on a raised hill overlooking sprawling lawns on either side, with the entrance highlighted by a long drive-in with indigenous flora and fauna dotting either side and ending at the Elephant Porch or “Hathi Baramdah”, which is a high arched porch built to accommodate the ruler when he would mount the howdah on an elephant for ceremonial processions. The double-storied mansion with turrets flanked on either side, has rooms envisioned for work and leisure with the Maharajah and Maharani wing having black and white checkered marble verandahs overlooking the sprawling lawns, with the royal insignia embossed along the glass windows. A natural lake is situated at one border and a manicured walking path crisscrosses the entire estate. The open verandahs were meant to be viewing parlours for the women of the family to watch the chhau performances at the main lawn, a martial arts dance form that was practised by the state military and flourished under the patronage of the erstwhile rulers.
The Director Duo
Mrinalika (28) and Akshita (26) are the second and third daughters of Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo who is the 47th ruler of the Bhanja dynasty, which was formed in the erstwhile princely state of Mayurbhanj in 697AD, now part of Odisha an eastern state in India. Their father’s mother is Maharani Bharati Rajya Lakshmi Devi, daughter of His Majesty King Tribhuvan of Nepal, aunt of present King of Nepal. Their mother is Rashmi Rajyalaxmi Bhanjdeo who is from the royal family of Jaisalmer, the biggest state in Rajasthan. Her father was the Maharaja Raghunath Singh Bahadur and her mother is Maharani Mukut Rajya Lakshmi Devi, daughter of General Shri Sharada Shumshere Jung Bahadur Rana, the last prime minister of Nepal and from the aristocratic Rana lineage of Nepal.
At present, Mr. Bhanj Deo is involved in politics and Mrs. Bhanj Deo is the founder of Ek Prayaas, a non-governmental organization for street children in Kolkata. They both are active Directors of the Mayurbhanj Foundation which supports local communities in the livelihood, health, arts and sports sectors.
Akshita and Mrinalika were born and brought up in Kolkata and attended La Martiniere for Girls, up until the 9th and 10th grade. This is when they decided to travel and began their fascination with studying and being part of the broader world of international affairs, sustainability, tourism, entrepreneurship and policy. Their family then made a decision to send them to a cosmopolitan city where they could both study and travel while living with people from all across the world so they attended the elite boarding school United World College of South East Asia, where notable alumni included Sonam Kapoor, Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, Kim Han-sol: Grandson of Kim Jong-il, King Willem-Alexander: King of The Netherlands among others. Both of them are national-level sportsman in equestrian sports of dressage and jumping and played sports through college namely swimming and basketball in Division I and III respectively.
After school both Mrinalika and Akshita went to college as Davis scholars in the United States, Bard College and University of Virginia, where Akshita pursued Political Science and Human Rights with a concentration in Media in conflict areas and Mrinalika studied Sociology and International Relations with a certification from the business school of McIntire.
After college, both of them moved to New York City to hone their skills in communications, brand management and entrepreneurship with Mrinalika getting a job at Puig. Puig is a third-generation family-owned luxury fashion and fragrance business based in Barcelona. She pursued the opportunity to work with Puig as the strength of Puig lay in its ability to build brands, to shape the image of brands through fashion, and to translate that same image into the world of fragrance through storytelling and product excellence. Mrinalika wanted to be able to learn from that and bring global solutions to a local challenge. Akshita worked with the International Rescue Committee a humanitarian aid organisation working closely with the former British parliamentarian David Milliband’s team focusing on the Syrian refugee crisis.
Both of them are Directors of the 200-year-old Belgadia Palace in Mayurbhanj, and are working to build sustainable tourism with social impact at its core to the tribal-dominated region. Mrinalika is also a successful yoga practitioner and facilitates spiritual retreats in India and abroad, whereas Akshita is a communication strategist at an artificial intelligence research institute in India, focusing on AI for social good.
Renovation & Restoration
The present renovation echoes the golden era of the state with furniture and upholstery being repurposed from the original palace. The original palace’s (which is now a college) exterior was built to be a replica of The Buckingham Palace. The annals of history come alive with vintage vinyl records, Persian carpets, old-world chandeliers and century-old oil paintings placed along the halls and porches of the estate. The paintings and art around the palace juxtapose the untamed and ethereal beauty of the district. Nothing like the smell of monsoons hitting the red laterite soil as you lounge in the verandah enjoying the natural landscape!
The suites offer hints and whispers of a royal era with the dark winding mahogany staircase at the lobby draped with a red carpet used for receiving the Maharajah, connecting the first floor rooms to the upper chambers. With each step into the palace, the jewel-toned colours have a soothing effect with soft wooden finishes transporting you to a bygone era.
The palace’s restoration to its former glory included landscaping of its surrounding, fruit and flower orchards and an organic farm for a fresh array of local cuisines served on embossed cutlery. The careful restoration of its interiors was done in stages keeping in mind the unique pieces of furniture and furnishings handcrafted for the family. Additionally, the rooms have antiques and collections of artwork belonging to the royal family from their travels around the world. The modern and lux design of its interior contrasts the ancient and ornate architecture of its exterior making the property and its surroundings a walk through the annals of history.
The Cultural Heritage
The district of Mayurbhanj is very rich in its arts and culture – from endangered crafts such as Dokra (ancient wax casting art form) to Mayurbhanj Chhau (martial arts dance form) and the palace itself has art from renowned artists such as Hemendranath Majumdar and architecture nearby from the 8th and 14th century. Mayurbhanj and The Belgadia Palace are a hidden artists treasure trove and has housed many famous personalities as it was the erstwhile home to the royal family and built to house foreign dignitaries from Annie Beasant, Mark Shand (Late brother of Camilla Parker Bowles) Gyanendra Shah, the last King of Nepal, to J.N. Tata and Keshab Chandra Sen (Bengal Renaissance Reformer).
People’s Palace
The present-day occupants of the palace, apart from the Maharajah, include the present Queen mother and the Queen of Mayurbhanj who belongs to the royal families of Nepal and Jaisalmer respectively. Each of them brings their own aesthetic to the unique interiors which include 10 rooms, each designed to highlight the numerous personalities who have either visited the Palace or have connections to the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj.
The Festivity
Chaitra Parva Chhau Festival (April): Chaitra Parva Chhau Festival is a three-day-long festival paying homage to the God Shiva through the UNESCO recognized martial arts dance form Maurbhanj Chhau. Celebrations involve singing, dancing, dance dramas and splendid feasts. Enthusiasts from all over the globe gather in Baripada during the festival to get the ethnic flavour of the age-old festive traditions. Maharaja Krushna Chandra Bhanj Deo of Mayurbhanj was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. According to mythology, Lord Shiva used to pray for the betterment of mankind during this time of the year. Maharaja Krushna, to pay tribute to Shiva, started this festival in the late 19th century.
Raja Parba (June): Raja or Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti is a three-day-long festival which stems from the belief that the mother Goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord Vishnu undergoes menstruation during the first three days. This is an important festival for the Santhal community among other adivasi groups in the district and we invite guests to visit a nearby village and be part of the families festivities including painting women’s and young girls hands and feet with Alta (natural red dye), painting village houses with tribal art and cooking local delicacies to welcome and celebrate goddesses!
Rath Yatra (July): Rath Yatra, also known as Car festival of Lord Jagannath is a very prominent festival of Baripada. The Rath Yatra in Baripada began in 1575 on the initiative of the then ruler of Mayurbhanj, Maharaja Baidyanath Bhanja Deo. It is scheduled to take place in the first weekend of July. One of the unique customs of this Yatra is women pulling the Ratha of Maa Subhadra and the devotees gather from every corner of the country to enjoy this festival.
Pujas(October): A multi-day festival that features elaborate temple and stage decorations (pandals), scripture recitation, performance arts, revelry, and processions. It is a major festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism across India and Shakta Hindu diaspora especially in Mayurbhanj given its status as a Shakti and Tantric peeth.
Activity List
1. You can spend a day getting oriented with the Palace and town itself, visiting the original 1804 Mayurbhanj Palace and nearby colonial heritage structures including the 700-year-old Jagannath Temple. (10 minutes from Belgadia)Visit Haripur (14th-century ruins of a terracotta palace, 25 mins from Belgadia)
- Visit Lulung and Sitakund (nearby waterfall in the buffer area of Simlipal tied to tribal mythology of Sita having bathed there) (25 minutes from Belgadia)
- Watch a Mayurbhanj Chhau (martial arts dance performance) and speak to the artists to understand the tribal martial arts dance form and its contemporary relevance (on the property)
- Go to a local Haat or bazaar to see the cuisine and community products being sold in Mayurbhanj between different tribal communities (10 minutes from Belgadia)
- Visit the local Dokra village (handicraft) with Gopal (Dokra artist), who can show you around the village and interact with locals there or have the dokra artists come to Belgadia to see their products
- Visit a nearby Sabai Grass (sustainable handicraft) self help group and visit the nearby Badjod Dam known for being a stopover spot for migratory birds (20 minutes from Belgaida)
- Visit Bareipani or Joranda waterfalls in Simlipal Elephant and Tiger Reserve (2nd and 8th largest waterfall in India, 3 hours from Belgadia but open only from November – May) (25 minutes from Belgadia)
Travel Guide
The Belgadia Palace is 3.5 hours from Kolkata & Bhubaneshwar as well.
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