Would you like to stay in the palace? In the Beltadia Palace in Mayurbhanj, you dive into art, culture and history
We make a sharp turn in Baripada, a small town in the Mayurbhanj region in Odisha, and find ourselves in front of white doors and a well -groomed car road. The next stretch is properly furnished and framed by Bougainvillea on the sides, taking us to a large building, less palace, painted with bright buttercup yellow and white. Everything comes directly from a Wes Anderson movie; The colors are flexible, and as I discovered later, pay attention to the aesthetics and internal details.
Initially, this historical residence, which was built to visit the guests and family members of Mayurbhanj’s royal family in the early 1800s, welcomes visitors as a boutique property since 2019, a vision of the new generation royal royal and sisters Akhita Bhanj Deo and Mrinalik Bhanj Deo.
Sisters, in the palace gardens, they greet us warmly with a highly waiting and waiting tea under a shadow of mango trees. Everything is of course very bridgerton-esque; Marigold wreaths and woven shawls were met instead of parasol.
“The original function of the Belgadia Palace was always to host… Art, culture, even people to come to celebrate different activities and festivals. The post -independence royal family gave up their expanding palaces to establish MPC Junior College in Mayurbhanj, making the Belgadia Palace its primary residence.
Mrinalika Bhanj Deo | Photo Loan: Special Editing
While opening the doors of the palace to the guests as aimed at the guests, Akshita and Mrinalika, who dived into the history, art and culture of their states and brought these experiences to their guests. And for his guests, a accommodation at the Beldadia Palace covers all this with the interest and intrigue of staying with the old royal family living in the property.
Our first evening there is a CHAU performance illuminated by fairy lights in the gardens against the floor of the palace. As part of a three -day festival celebrations by Belgadia Palace and Aadi Naad, we learn about the efforts of the palace and the family to revive this dance form. Mrinalika says that they work closely with Project Chhauni, a local organization introducing Mayurbhanj Chhau.
Boutique Property Personnel | Photo Loan: S Poorvaja
It is the time when Belgadia really feels alive in Daybreak’s calm and stagnation. The next morning, on a walk around the palace land, trees labeled properly, at least 15 different birds calls and palace staff dressed in red and white yellows according to another guest bird observation application are preparing flowers. The lush palace areas seem perfect not only to host dance performances, but also the picnics of the palace, and at the same time picnics, lazy long lunch at tables that can be installed outdoors, and even for one or two croquettes.
Baripada HAAT | Photo Loan: S Poorvaja
BARipada HAAT, which is a two -week moving market, has bamboo traps for vegetables, fruits, kitchen public services, hand -woven baskets, fish, mussels and more. Mrinalika manages us with wrapped sellers and discover women selling red ant Chutney with famous GI. Most of the guest experiences of the Belgadia Palace are connected to the tribal communities in the region. Many initiatives established to work with the tribal communities of the Mayurbhanj Foundation include clusters in different villages covering crafts made of Sabai grass. In Salasahi, a village we visit, women skillfully touch the piles of Sabai herbs to ropes and baskets.
A Sabai grass cluster in Mayurbhanj | Photo Loan: S Poorvaja
During the PANDEM, when the orders started to cancel these clusters, which worked with Sabai Grass and form doctrine jewels (made using wax casting technique), the efforts to make a channel to sell their products to these craftsmen led to the establishment of a boutique Atelier in Mrinalika’s Belgadia Palace. “Guests and visitors to the Palace can take a look at the products we have. This was born of wanting to make a strong identity and assets for Odisha workmanship,” he says.
What’s on our plates?
After having dinner in Belgadia for two days, we are very enthusiastic to sign up for a dinner lesson with only resident chefs. The meals in Belgadia are bengered and a good fusion of Odia cuisine. It comes with Thalis, Lembu Bhatal (Lemon Rice), Fresh Chingdi Checha (shrimp curry), Moong Mohan Dal (Lentils) and Badi Chaur (crushed lentil meatballs). Our favorite Bansha Pore murgi, bamboo directly bamboo hot service bamboo cooked chicken shunks. While we have toast, eggs and juice in our breakfast menus, we turn to hot, crisp chakulis, served in a light spicy sauce next to the Odia version of the doses, ghugni or chickpeas. When Western Bengal and Odisha are always competitive about their desserts, we strengthen our loyalty with Odisha’s crumbled sweet Cennapoda.
When it comes to all outdoor activities you can join Mayurbhanj, the cherry Silimpal Elephant and Tiger Reserve in Pasta. Belgadia staff certainly recommend a visit there and even show us photos of video and rare views of a melanist tiger.
However, if you choose to be lazy in your palace suite or historical suite, there is much to do if you choose to be lazy in the interior. Every corner and corner of the palace creates fascinating and endless Instagram opportunities. Each room in the palace, which is defined as an Art Deco Sanctual, adds itself to a rich color scheme. One afternoon, cold coffee and many wings on the back of the chairs and puffs on a rapid confectionery of a few rows of a mental note I get a mental note. When he is loyal to the host, there is a library stacked with dining areas, a projector room and even books older than 100 years of age.
A suite in Belgadia Palace | Photo Loan: Special Editing
“The palace was never in a devastated situation and it was always a lived area. Grandma and my grandfather moved here in the late 1990s, and since then, he has always been humming with people. When they start working on a renovation in 2019, they say they have to bring someone who knows how to work with old houses and buildings. “It is not as easy as it is just as easy to install on the new wiring or drilling walls. Every technical decision should be considered well and we had to protect the heritage and heritage of the palace, or he says. Structurally, there were very little changing in the palace, and consciously they worked only on interior and renovation. While the main palace building contains six suite, the historical suits in the garden building have fascinating repercussions of the past; The room I stayed with has high platforms and curved belts, and then the palace kitchens were said to be here.
A view of Belgadia Palace | Photo Loan: Special Editing
Although 12 rooms and garden buildings spread to the main palace are open for guests throughout the year, the palace also welcomes the guests who come for daily experiences and tours, and more importantly, university students and young people from the region who want to visit the palace.
“We act like a museum living in the palace and accompany visitors through the property.
The author was at the Mayurbhanj Belgadia Palace with an invitation from Rare India
Published – 06 June 2025 02:52 pm
