Deogarh Madaria
As soon as you glimpse the Deogarh Mahal, you can see that its rulers must have been serious players in the Mewar aristocracy, their magnificent fort a fitting stronghold for one of its sixteen “umraos” - the most senior feudal barons attending on the Maharana of Udaipur. Even so, you might not necessarily guess
that the Rawats of Deogarh (a local title equivalent to “Raja”) once ruled over the fourth largest jagir in the whole of Rajasthan. At its most extensive, their territory comprised some 210 villages, with one of their defensive forts as far as 100 km away. Yet there is little ostentation and even less gold to be found
in their palace. Like most of the Mewar nobility, they spent too much time fighting to have much to spare for amassing great wealth.
And yet if one of their ancestors, had had a better sense of humour, the throne of Mewar might even have been theirs…
Entering the Palace
It is the public face of the Deogarh rulers that we encounter first. The gateway into the front courtyard passes beneath the “Kacheri” where justice was administered - reminding us immediately that they held powers of life and limb over their subjects. Then the richly painted palace entrance leads us up, past a
couple of small family shrines, through a series of narrow passages and staircases.
(A grander entrance route would have been harder to defend!)
But notice how well-worn the steps are here, compared with other parts of the palace. This is the area that saw the heavy traffic, the villagers coming to pay their feudal dues or seek some judicial remedy. Their business took them only as far as the first floor, where the revenue and general administration
departments were located at the front of the building.
The Central Courtyard
Emerging onto the second floor where the hotel’s house keeping desk is now located, it is difficult to imagine that this little “piazza”, proudly displaying the white marble Deogarh throne, was a relatively late addition to the palace. Not the surrounding buildings but the actual floor on which you are standing. It
used to drop straight down to a garden on the level below. There is another room on the first floor, exactly like the bar lounge immediately above it on this level, giving the building a symmetry that has now been obscured. But originally, if you had wanted to cross from here to the Bar on the other side, you would
have had to use one of the narrow galleries that once encircled this space.
Perhaps more intriguingly, the back wall used to be a shallow, almost two-dimensional “screen”, with many more than the handful of “jali” windows that you can see today. It must have been remarkably like a rustic variant of the famous Hawa Mahal (or Palace of the Winds) in Jaipur – that extraordinary building,
little more than a façade, that was designed to give the Maharanis in the City Palace a discreet view of the outside world from its dozens of "jalis".
According to one version of events, this similarity is no coincidence. Pratap Singh, the younger son of Maharaja Madho Singh I of Jaipur and Princess Kundan Kunwar of Deogarh (see Room 218), came here as a child to escape the dangerous plottings of the nobility in Jaipur. His decision to build the Hawa Mahal in
1799 is said to have been directly inspired by his happy memories of Deogarh.
The Bar opening off this courtyard, is a former reception hall. It is hung with numerous portraits, including those of Maharana Raj Singh of Udaipur (1754-1761) on the left wall, Rawat Gokuldas II on the left-hand side of the back wall and Rawat Ranjit Singh on the right wall.
There are also some interesting photographs here. On the left wall, top left is Sangram Singh II with his two sisters - looking exactly like three brothers, except that the girls are given away by their ankle bracelets. Bijay Singh also appears bottom left and top right (with his staff). On the right wall are two
more photographs of Bijay, top left and centre, and one of Sangram, bottom centre.
There are a number of photographs that feature Mayo College where Rawat Nahar Singh ji II taught as a History master after Independence.
The heart of the palace
Anop Singh's adoptive father, Kishan Singh ji (1867-1900) is commemorated by Room 206 - “Kishan Kunj”. Kishan – pictured here in a couple of photographs – seems to have been a colourful man with several wives and numerous concubines. But he was also a great devotee of Lord Krishna and this is reflected in the
decoration of this room, with various paintings of Lord Krishna and even a canopied ceiling of stars to evoke Kishan’s favourite deity. However, the room was never a bedroom in Kishan’s own day. It was originally a broad passage, leading behind the “Hawa Mahal” look-alike. The room incorporates some of the few small
jali windows that survive from this, with other original stained glass windows on the opposite side. It also enjoys the benefit of a small private terrace.
Deogarh is accessible both by rail and road. It is a couple of miles east of National Highway No 8. By rail, it is on the Western Railway Route, between Udaipur and Marwar junction.
Deogarh Mahal was converted into a hotel by the present owner Rawat Nahar Singh. A part of the Mahal is still occupied by his kin. The family is closely associated with the hotel and personally supervises and monitors the on goings. The care is reflected in the minutest details which have made Deogarh a benchmark
of Heritage Hospitality in Rajasthan. Every guest here is special and is treated with the customary Mewari hospitality.
ROOMS
The hotel has 50 Rooms ( 3 Royal Suites , 2 Studio Suites, 23 Deluxe Suites ,22 Deluxe Rooms). Each room is comfortably elegant, with attached bathrooms fitted with modern amenities. All restorations and alterations on the Mahal were carried out, bearing in mind the old architectural style of the building. The idea
was to offer the weary traveller, the comforts of today with an ambience of the past. Every room is reflective of a different era, Gokul Ajara, Moti Mahal and Ranjit Prakash room dates back to 1670 AD, and the decor reflects the Rajput era.With its domed ceiling, the Jog Maya Mahal or temple room enshrines the family
deity.
CUISINE
Food is sure to be the best at the hotel. Home grown fruits and vegetables, in-house milk products and oils provide a delectable and distinct freshness. You can also flavour typical Mewari cuisine served with traditional hospitality. The hotel also offers delicious seasonal jams, and juices made from fruits grown
around the Mahal. Orange marmalade, plum, and mixed fruit are some of the seasonal jams also available for sale. Gala evenings, featuring folk music and dance are also organised.
OTHER FACILITIES ( Click here for facilties photo tour )
Swimming pool and a Jacuzzi - A swimming pool and a heated Jacuzzi have recently been built in the Deogarh premises. The swimming pool will shortly be solar heated. Ayurvedic Massage - A special team from Kerala is available to provide relaxing and therapeutic Ayurvedic massage. A new Dining area has been built
exclusively for the FIT guests .Airy terraces provide a splendid view of the ranges and lakes as one sun-bathes, reads or watches the sun set.
50 Rooms ( 3 Royal Suites , 2 Regal Suites, 23 Deluxe Suites ,22 Deluxe Rooms)
- All suites have Mini Bars, Tea Kettles, Heaters/ Air Conditioner, Safes
- Attached bathrooms fitted with modern amenities ( Hair Driers)
- Telephones with Direct Dialling Facility in all rooms
- 24 hr Room Service
- Laundry and Dry Cleaning
- Multi-Cuisine Restaurants, Bar
- Ayurvedic Massage
- Doctor on Call
- Swimming Pool and a Jacuzzi
- Children's Swimming Pool
- Baby - sitter ( Hindi Speaking )
- Travel Counter & Taxi Services
- Credit Cards
- RIJHAVAN -- The Shop (Books, Garments, Antiques...)
- Modern Conference Facilities
- Public Telephone Booth
- Motorcycle on hire
- Snooker Table
- Table Tennis
- Indoor Badminton Court
- Indoor Gym
- Coffee Shop
- LCD Projector & Theatre for Hollywood and Bollywood movies
- Satellite TV ( Lounge )
- Satellite Radio ( Lounge )
- Internet services for surfing and e-mail
- CD- Writing to convert Digi Camera flash cards into CDs
- Library
Activities that one can indulge in while at Deogarh ( Click here for photo tour )
- Rural Ramble - a Jeep drive into the countryside with an escort
- Rural Rail - A local train ride through a wooded hill section ( Deogarh to Phulad. 1930’s train)
- Trekking (in the hills)
- English saddle horse riding around the hotel and the nearby villages.
- Romantic horse-carriage ride
- Morning walk & breakfast
- A walk through the village
- Boating on the lake ( monsoon permitting)
- Bird watching (near the lakes) with an expert
- Relaxing massage by expert Ayurvedic masseurs from Kerala
- Picnics can be arranged
- Bicycling single or tandem
- Special romantic dinners
- Pick-up and ride in vintage cars (1962 Jaguar S Type, 1942 GI Jeep, 1938 Chevrolet)
- Motorcycle on hire for a trip in the countryside
Places to see
Gokul Garh Fort
Anjana Mahadeoji Temple and Fort
Day trips to Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh Fort which are 2 hrs and 2½ hrs respectively
Deogarh is in the heart of Rajasthan and an ideal stopover to experience this colourful desert.
It offers loads of exciting options, for the traveller. A convenient base for visiting the world renowned Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh Forts and the Jain temples of Ranakpur, its proximity to the quaint merchandising village allows you to experience, first hand, the place and its culture. Jeep safaris into the
rugged countryside, introduce you to a variety of exciting panoramas and the avian life. |
