Explore journey back in time in this Maharaja’s carriage from the 1900s

Explore journey back in time in this Maharaja’s carriage from the 1900s

India has many magnificent palaces with lavish grandeur, most of which have been either converted to hotel where you can experience the royal lifestyle.

Here’s the all about Orchard Palace, Huzoor Palace Complex, Gondal, Gujarat

You can live a bit of the experience at the Orchard Palace in Gondal—located an hour away from Rajkot—where the royal family of Gondal has preserved their private rail saloon from the early 1900s.

The Orchard Palace in Gondal was meant to host personal guests of the Maharajas. In the early 90s, the palace was converted into a seven-room heritage hotel, well-appointed with Art Deco furniture, antiques and handicrafts from the family's collection. As a part of this exercise, the royal railway carriage of Maharaja Bhagwat Sinhji was restored to allow for guests to take a trip back in time.

Way ahead of his time, the Maharaja planned for a railway factory close to the palace, so as to allow for a set of private tracks to be laid for his personal railway carriage. Those private tracks along with his saloon still stand to this day. The carriage—which guests of the property can walk through—comprises a kitchen with an intact Dover wood-fire stove, a bar and dining area, a living room, two washrooms and a bedroom for two.

Maharani Saheb Kumudkumari, who overlooks the upkeep of the Orchard Palace, Riverside Palace (the family's other heritage hotel in Gondal), the Maharaja's old luxury railway saloon, as well as Naulakha Palace, the former residence of the family that has since been converted into a museum.

While you can't drink tea or dine in the carriage, guests of the property can enjoy the culinary delights of Orchard Palace's Kitchen which whips up creations inspired by the royal family's travels and their Kathiawadi roots. A plus for those planning a trip is the in-house wine shop, which allows tourists to purchase their own wines and spirits with a permit and enjoy it within the hotel's premises.

"Earlier, we had plans to convert it into a suite for guests. But we realised that we would have to completely transform the carriage for it to be fit for guests. Instead, we chose to preserve it as it was, to allow for guests to experience the real deal. Everything has been maintained, except of course, for the upholstery," she explains.

Source: Internet