Udai Bilas Palace Trophies and Cars
What is it?
Why to visit?
Dungarpur means the City of Hills and was founded in the
Nestled in idyllic splendour, with the blue waters of Gaibsagar
13th century and rose to fame under the Guhilot Ahara Suryavanshi Rajputs, who trace their ancestry who trace their lineage from Chittrorgarh rulers. Some 700 years later Dungarpur is still a picturesque town set amongst the peaks of the Aravalli hills. The town seems almost unnaturally alive, its temple sounds drifting through the hills surrounding Udai Bilas Palace.
lake on one side and a cove of private reserve forest on the other, Udai Bilas Palace is the embodiment of the old world charm of princely India. The palace is only partly converted into a hotel; the rest is still lived in by the royal family of Maharaja Kumar Harshvardhan Singh of Dungarpur. It offers a scenic location for rest and recreation. As you stroll through the palace, you cannot stop admiring the
intricate
pillars, sculpted panels, arches and bracketed windows which give you a sense of old world charm and an insight into aristocratic lifestyle of the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan. All 23 rooms at Udai Bilas Palace are lavishly furnished in Art Deco style, whilst the banquet hall with its hunting trophies and crystal chandeliers is an elegant reminder of the old India.
What to do?
Not to be missed -
The family often joins guests for drinks or dinner served at a
Dungarpur mews — An old heritage building built by
long marble table facing a medieval Hindu temple built into
Maharawal Bijai Singhji between 1910 to 1914. It was initially
the walls. Guests get access to the royal family’s 13th-century
used to be a stable but in the 1930 to 35 period; it was
Old Palace, the Juna Mahal (a World Monument and one of
converted into a huge garage that can accommodate about 40
Rajasthan’s best-kept secrets. This seven-storied structures
cars.
resembles a fortress with crenelated walls, turrets and narrow entrances….it is a short trip by car and well worth the effort as the frescoes, miniature paintings, glass and mirror work is still in good condition and must rank as the most prolific in Rajasthan.
Their collection includes – the double carriage cannons which are quite rare, an old steam road-roller of 1910 from Marshall and Sons – UK. A very rare Austrian car – the Steyr Daimler 220 – 1936. They have a 47- packard, 51- chevy pick-up, 1942 Willys Jeep, 1939 fiat 7 seater saloon, Sl 380 1885 and Sl-320
Visit the many unspoiled Bheel hamlets, who are a tribe
of 1994, Jaguar XJS 1985, a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, couple
within the Aravalli range dating back to 4000 B.C. One can
of BMW motorcycles during the first world war.
look forward to special shows of tribal music and dancing here, or at the palace itself where they perform on invitation.
The mews has a nice bar with music and a few surprises for the guests which is a secret !! A great place to party with the cars
Besides visits to the many unspoiled Bheel hamlets in and
and other modes of transport. - the garage is full of
around the town, you can look forward to special shows of
automobile memorabilia and the auto buffs will enjoy it.
tribal music and dancing at the palace itself. Bheels from this region and from the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat can be seen at their best during the annual tribal fair at Baneshwar temple around 70 km from Dungarpur where they assemble in large numbers.
When to visit?
How to get there?
Best time to visit is October to March.
By Road : Excellent roads place Dungarpur just 25 km. from
For bird watchers Udai Bilas Palace is a round-the-year paradise. The cooler months from November to February are the best to see winter migratory birds and the monsoon season, from July to October, is the nesting season when birds can be observed in attractive plumages.
National Highway No.8 approached either from Ahmedabad or Udaipur. By Air : Udaipur airport is just 120 kms away and Ahmedabad airport is at a distance of 175 kms.