Looking into the story of my family led to unravelling almost 1,500 years of history.”
As a young student in America, Akshita Manjiri Bhanj Deo, who might have been the 48th documented ruler of Mayurbhanj, Odisha, spent her holidays in family cottages in upstate New York, along with elder sister Mrinalika. The idea of opening up their ancestral home to guests took root there. So in 2015, Akshita opened the doors of The Belgadia Palace to visitors looking for a brush with its glorious past. Built in 1804, the mansion in Baripada city once welcomed foreign dignitaries to the royal state. In its 200- odd years, Belgadia has seen a thriving monarchy, the Raj era, the formation and dissolution of a constitutional monarchy, been a barrack for World War soldiers, as well as a family home.
HOME, HEARTH AND HISTORY
There’s a story in every corner of this 22-acre property. A small wall cabinet right outside my suite holds a well-preserved collection of antique tobacco pipes, most bought in London. It’s twin on another wall has an assortment of children’s vintage puzzle games. All along the mansion’s walls are paintings of royals and sepia snapshots of family and state.
It took over a year-and-a-half and the expertise of a family friend to restore this beloved home. Once Pooja Bihani of Spaces and Design was introduced to the Doric Corinthian-style mansion, she restored it to its former glory with utmost care—carved details were brought out and painted a different colour, murals and paintings were restored in Kolkata’s old antique shops, and some creature comforts introduced. Now, the ground floor rooms have carved wooden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2021-Ausgabe von National Geographic Traveller India.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2021-Ausgabe von National Geographic Traveller India.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Best Of The World 2023
Travel inspiration is everywhere. The question is where to go next. Here's our annual list of enlightened destinations for the year aheadplaces filled with wonder, rewarding to travellers of all ages, and supportive of local communities and ecosystems. Framed by five categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family, Adventure), these destinations are under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring.
Α ΗΟΜΕ IN THE HILLS
Skyview by Empyrean is a onestop destination for adventure and leisure in Jammu
ENTER THE PICTURE POSTCARD
A stylish luxury hotel in Thimphu's northern outskirts is where illustrious Bhutanese and travellers alike are finding their happy place
48 Hours : Seattle Leads The Way
The jewel of the Pacific Northwest is one of America’s greenest and grooviest culture capitals
BIG BINGE: DUBAI FOR THE JET-SETTING GOURMAND
Delightful degustation menus, French brasseries with art-inspired menus and Japanese diners excelling at nostalgia—the Dubai Food Festival 2022 justified the city’s status as one of the world’s premier food capitals
CULTURE COOL - UNDER THE EMIRATI SUN
Home to one of the world’s grandest mosques, an exciting emerging arts district on Saadiyat Island and an entertainment hub promising genuine thrills, Abu Dhabi has arrived in the league of extraordinary family destinations
ONLY IN OTTAWA
ACTIVE ADVENTURES, BUZZY BREWERIES AND NEIGHBOURHOODS THRIVING WITH BARS AND BOUTIQUES— CANADA'S BIJOU CAPITAL HAS PLENTY TO DISCOVER BEYOND THE HALLS OF PARLIAMENT
OF FRENCH FINESSE
QUENELLE DE BROCHET IS A REGIONAL LEGACY DISH HAILING FROM LYON. THE OVAL, POACHED PIKE DUMPLINGS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY A PASTRY CHEF TO REGULATE FISH OVERPOPULATION
Coorg: A WILD ROAST
Back in another timber den of Karnataka, native wildlife and humble stories surprise Suhas Dwarkanath as he sips on a bold cup of robusta.
DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH
THE U.A.E'S NORTHERNMOST EMIRATE IS ALL ABOUT ENJOYING NATURAL TREASURES, FROM SOARING OVER THE AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS ON THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE TO PERUSING PRECIOUS PEARLS BY THE SEASHORE