HISTORY OF GONDAL

Orchard Palace

The Orchard Palace was built as an annex of the Huzoor Palace, the family residence, in the late-19th century to host personal guests of the Maharajas. Converted into a seven-room heritage hotel, it is appointed with 1930s and ‘40s art deco furniture, antiques and handicrafts.

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the residence of the Crown Prince of Gondal

Riverside Palace

Built in the 1880s as the residence of the Crown Prince of Gondal, the Riverside Palace is a colonial-style building set in gardens beside the town's river. It has been converted into a heritage hotel with 11 large and high-ceilinged rooms appointed with four-poster beds, old dressers and other colonial period furniture from the family's heirloom collection.

HISTORY OF GONDAL

The 11-gun salute princely state of Gondal spanned an area of about 1000 sq miles comprising four towns and more than 175 villages. The state was ruled by a dynasty of the Krishna-vanshi Jadeja Rajput clan from Thakur Shri Kumboji in the 1600s.

It was modernised by His Highness Thakore Shri Sagramji who ruled from 1851 to 1869 and became a first-class princely state in 1887 after His Highness Maharaja Bhagwat Sinhji introduced wide-ranging economic and social reforms. Under HH Bhagwat Sinhji, the state became distinguished for its number of educational and public institutions, and for possessing infrastructure that did not exist even in larger princely states or in areas under direct British rule.

HH Bhagwat Sinhji made girl child education free and compulsory, abolished 40 dues including rates, taxes, customs, octroi and export duties,started a travelling dispensary, an asylum for the maintenance of the poor and a hospital, introduced wide roads, sanitary drainage and underground electricity supplies in Gondal town, and built excellent road and irrigation networks across the state of Gondal connecting its villages and towns. HH Bhagwat Sinhji is also considered one of the pioneers of the railway industry in Saurashtra.

After he passed away in 1944, HH Bhagwat Sinhji’s son, HH Bhojrajji succeeded him.The present owner of the heritage hotels of Gondal, JYOTENDRASINHJI VIKRAMSINHJI SAHIB, is the grandson of HH Bhojrajji.

Recommendations

Naulakha Palace

The Naulakha Palace was erected around 1748 AD in the Darbargadh or walled palace complex of the rulers, and since then has been extended by successive rulers. The façade is a festival of stone carving with splendid sculpture, relief, carved columns and ornate jarokha balconies.

Royal rooms

Accommodation

Gondal Palaces

Happy CUSTOMER

Pravin Dangera
Pravin Dangera
06/06/2020
Royal Treat Really this is the perfect place for who is looking for ROYAL Treat during holidays ! you will be welcomed with garlands and juice made from the garden of this palace. very friendly staff always ready to help you at your doorstep. And the Royal food is the most enjoyable part, don't miss the food.
Lindon H
Lindon H
17/05/2020
perfect This was a magnificent place to stay Clean, quiet, comfortable, roomy, and courteous staff We were given a double suite on the ground floor. Some interesting art around the foyer and in the room Also a wonderful old royal rail carriage open for inspection Not much more to say except ... highly recommended!
CliveEssex
CliveEssex
21/03/2020
Lovely old palace and attentive host & staff Arrived after midnight due to delayed flight. Lovely large room (No. 7). Amenities as you would expect in an older style Indian palatial residence. Staff unfailingly helpful and food lovely (pre-booking of evening meal required). Access to town simple via auto rickshaw from hotel gardens gate. Typical Indian provincial town - great to just wander, get lost and explore ! Many thanks to owner Parth for helping with our travel plans. A lovely introduction to our Gujarat visit.
Tacklow
Tacklow
25/02/2020
Slightly faded grandeur redolent of a bygone era This palace offers seven large rooms with an abundance of history. An added bonus is the maharaja’s collection of vintage cars and the royal railway carriage on site. The staff are friendly and the food good but if you’re staying for dinner, advance notice is required. There is a whiff of faded grandeur about the hotel but, all in all, a great place to stay in Gondal.
AlgarveMon
AlgarveMon
24/02/2020
Interesting place We were given the super king sized bedroom, which was very comfortable. Would agree with previous comments about hospitality. Food was ok, but served by men in military type uniform. Strange! The Palace itself was filled with various mis matched collections from mainly UK. Gardens were newly planted with many colors of bougainvillea. There was very little in the immediate surrounding area. Transport definitely needed to get anywhere.
cobweblondon
cobweblondon
07/02/2020
Nice old fashioned palace We enjoyed coming to this place. The house was grand in very large grounds. We enjoyed walking in the garden and enjoyed seeing the vintage car collection. The staff was extremely friendly and all the dogs round grounds were very cute. The room was very big as was the bathroom. There were faults there. The electric wiring was terrible and possibly dangerous. The lavatory was far too low. Some of the furniture in our room was broken. The food was first class.
Simon B
Simon B
24/01/2020
Colonial luxury in Gondal A wonderful palace right in the centre of Gondal where the accommodation was mind blowingly large but very comfortable just a pity we could only enjoy it for one night. Staff helpful and friendly and we were well looked after. It is not a modern 5 star hotel and if that is what you are looking for this is not for you but we loved it for its faded colonial atmosphere and style with lovely seating areas at the front and back of the palace at both ground and first floor. A real colonial luxury.
Dominique
Dominique
22/01/2020
Magnifique Beau palais de maharajah transformé en hôtel. Tout est parfait: l accueil, l endroit, le mobilier, le jardin, les terrasses, chambres spacieuses et raffinées. Juste un tout petit bémol: la plomberie de la salle de bains vieillotte donc eau chaude parcimonieuse... Les repas pris sur place furent excellents. Pour moi une expérience incontournable à Gondal .
Jim J
Jim J
18/01/2020
Surprising lack of hospitality The place definitely has heritage charm and it is comfortable, but the almost complete lack of hospitality was shocking in India. I have visited India nine times and never felt so unwelcome in a hotel before. No explanation of the house, it’s history, it’s facilities, the fact that you can get into museums free if you are a guest here— In short, zero welcome. I felt like all they were concerned with was making money, and would rather not have anyone there at all.
Catherine U
Catherine U
01/12/2019
Small town with lots to see We decided to stay in Gondal when I saw it described as a leafy small town! We stayed for 3 nights in the most sublime room imaginable. As part of our stay we were shown around the magnificent museum that was very well looked after .....a terrific collection of furniture, , carpets, teapots etc. Etc. We also wandered around a separate collection of classic cars mainly from the US.. along with this was terrific food and helpful staff.. Gondal also has superb temples and is only an hour away from Junagarh with more superb architecture and of course Girnar hill with it’s 10,000 steps if you are feeling fit.......20 years since we completed that!

The Orchard Palace
HGH Group, The Palace, Gondal, Gujarat, India
Tel: +91 2825 220002
Mob: +91 98244 85414
Mob: +91 78746 36041
Fax: +91 2825 223332 E
E-mail: hghgroup@yahoo.com