The Belgadia Palace — Hotel in Baripada

It is a beautiful property very nicely restored by the current royal family, who are very hands-on.

If you are a history buff, the State of Mayurbhanj has an amazing history, from the beginnings of Tata Steel at Sakshi (Jamshedpur) to Baripada being one of the few places to have electricity from pre-independence days, to the royal family's focus on education institutions including the Maharaja's generous donation towards building Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, etc.

Art & Culture - Mayurbhanj is the birthplace and one of the nurseries for Chou dance.

Belgadia Palace has a beautiful mango orchard and the pond is being restored by the Baripada Municipality.

Both the King and Queen were friendly and extremely gracious in our interactions.

Food was basic but good. We enjoyed it because we make it a point to have the local cuisine of the place we visit. Moodi mànsho (murmura / puffed rice with mutton curry is a local delicacy). Staff was extremely courteous and helpful.

We were there during summer, when the weather can be a challenge and there is not much that one can do in terms of activities. July to February (monsoons and winter) would be ideal times to visit.

Climbing the stairs to the suites on the first floor can be a challenge for senior citizens.

Tariffs are a tad expensive but given the extensive restoration work being done (without Government support), it is a worthwhile contribution towards preserving an important part of our heritage.

Roads from Cuttack / Bhubaneswar and Kolkata are very good. About a 4-5 hour drive.

Would...

We spent two beautiful days at the Belgadia Palace this month. The ambience of the palace felt magical and the stay makes you feel like royalty. We got to learn a lot about the history of the palace and the beautiful love story that unfolded between Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo and Sucharu Devi.

Staying in the palace feels simultaneously as if you're living in a piece of history but also a real home. The food was definitely one of the best parts, eating a thali style meal for lunch and dinner, we got to experience many different dishes, including some of the best Butter Chicken we've ever eaten. It seemed the staff was still learning the ropes, but they were incredibly kind and welcoming throughout the entire duration of our stay.

If you find you have downtime during your stay the palace also has organised several different short drive trips you can take to get to know the surrounding area and Oriya culture. We got to visit the Sabai Grass Handicraft production that happens in the nearby village, with the opportunity to speak to the women who hand make each product and purchase beautiful locally crafted Sabai grass products from their vast inventory.

The palace also has several friendly dogs on the property who welcome you as you enter and definitely help made our stay feel more like a home. All in all, the Belgadia Palace strikes the perfect balance between comfort and home, while also giving you a taste of what it feels like...

Lovely heritage property, with beautifully curated rooms, lounge areas and lush sprawling grounds, charming hosts and staff.

We had an absolutely lovely stay at Belgadia. The rooms and garden are beautifully maintained and curated - showcasing the rich history of the palace, and the area. The palace is ideally located for day trips to Simlipal forest, Kiching temple, and various other sites in Mayurbhanj. We especially enjoyed the short trip to explore the old ruins at Haripur.

The hosts and staff are extremely welcoming and helpful, and went out of their way to make sure our stay was comfortable. Mrinalika and Akshita were always available for any queries at odd hours while booking and before our stay. The manager Mr. Pervez and all the staff at the palace - especially Shweta, Rashida, Himanshu, Bijay, Baya, and the chef Mr. Shirshendu - made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed - including endless cups of tea and packed sandwiches for trips.

We stayed in the very comfortable and cosy Ikat Room, which opens into a well lit verandah that has direct access to the beautifully maintained grounds. Our travelling companions stayed in the Dokra Room, and the Heritage Suite. All rooms have direct access to gorgeously decorated lounge areas, and the suites are immensely spacious. On a second visit we stayed at the Chhau and Dokra Rooms, which are very cosy and...