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 Jhira Bagh Palace
is hundreds of acres of private estate away from all kinds of
pollution. It is situated in the heart of Malwa, on the plains of
Malwa Plateau in Dhar in Western Madhya Pradesh. The Malwa area
where the palace stands is famous for its enchanting, velvety nights
and one can experience the peace and tranquility of its clear,
star-studded skies. Jhira Bagh Palace is located outside the city of
Dhar and is only 30 kms from the historic and the largest fortified
city in the world -- Mandu.
A breathtaking view of the sunset is visible across the sprawling
lawns. The palace gardens are a natural setting for a variety of
birds, some migratory. The Palace is surrounded by acres of land,
where agricultural activities are carried out.
Historically and culturally, Dhar district has occupied an important
place throughout the ages, both ancient and modern. Dhar, known as
Dhara Nagari in ancient times, and Piran Dhar in the
medieval period, has had the privilege of being the capital city,
both in the ancient and in the early medieval periods.
Built by Maharaja Anand Rao Puar III of Dhar in the 1860's, the Jira
Bagh Palace was renovated and reconstructed by Maharaja Anand Rao
Puar IV, in the 1940's. The palace was a grand English guest house
of Dhar state. Upto 1943 it played host to many British officers,
Governor Generals and Viceroys of India and served the purpose of
both official and recreational visits. Several records reveal
elaborate plans for banquets, picnics, hunts, and sightseeing tours.
Location
Jhira Bagh Palace is
conviniently connected by the railheads, airports and by road to the
various parts of the country.
Conferance
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The Imperial
A comfortable 24-seater conference hall provides the ambience and
facilities needed for a board meeting, or a senior level conference
or seminar. As against any other closed up conference hall, this
hall allows natural light to come in, giving a fresh feel to the
participants.
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The Monarch
A grand conference-cum-banquet hall on the first floor, originally
meant for the private parties of the Maharaja, provides ample
opportunities to combine business and pleasure. Around 70 people can
be seated in theatre-style in this hall.
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Regale
A beautiful hall, which can be used as an informal conference hall.
For the evening folk music programs, seating arrangements are made
here. Around 40 people can easily be accommodated in this hall.
Restaurant
Food plays a major role in making a
guest's holiday special and enjoyable. Keeping this in mind, the
palace have a dining hall meant mainly for the residential guests.
This enables them to prepare exactly what the guests ask for.
Menus consists of many original recipes from royal homes. Vegetables
are plucked afresh before each meal from organic farms of the
palace. Grains like Wheat, Maize, Peanut, Dal, Chana, Beans and
spices like Turmeric, Sesame seed, Jeera, Saunf, Ginger etc. are
grown in the fields using organic manure. All the milk product needs
of the palace kitchen is met by the dairy of the palace, which has
well-bred cows.
With the aim to serve the guests with fresh food, there is no system
of pre-cooked meals. The palace prepares fresh food every time for
the guests like it is done at home. Even for a person wishing to
have a meal at the dining room, he has to wait for 40 minutes, since
the whole meal is prepared fresh. Pickles are also prepared in the
palace kitchen only. Fresh bread rolls, muffins are prepared in the
palace bakery.
Facilities
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Museum
The museum offers a special emphasis on the rich arts and crafts of
Malwa through the ages. The museum houses ancient artifacts of this
region, tribal jewellery, old documents, coins etc. This takes a
person back to the memories of the Raj.
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Folk Music / Folk Dance and
Classical Music programs
The palace staffer can arrange folk music/dance programs for the
residential guests in the evening to give them a feel of the Malwa
area. The palace provides scholarships to upcoming musicians of this
area in the field of Indian Classical music who also perform for the
guests. These are arranged only on request.
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Sports
Indoor sports include table-tennis and playing cards.
For those who are fond of the outdoors, there is cricket and
horse-riding.
Future plan includes a swimming pool and buggy-rides of the estates
for the guests.
Accommodation
After almost 50 years of obscurity,
the palace today has opened its gates once more to visitors. Through
sustained efforts since 1994 to reconstruct and renovate the
property, the palace today conveys the charm and nostalgia of a
bygone era.
The functionalism championed by the Bauhaus has been met in large
doors and windows, plain walls and a minimum of furnishings and
accessories. Art Deco style's vitality and diversity are wonderfully
conveyed in the palace to make it simple yet elegant. And since it
is after all a palace, in the creation of spaces, therefore, it is
lavish. With restrained decoration and ornamentation, art deco
characteristics are subtly used to create a landmark in the history
of modern art in India.
Large suites, comfortably rooms and a variety of public areas offer
the guests the choice of privacy and peace, or an outdoor holiday
with an unpolluted environment and plenty of fresh air. Every room
has been given a different decor. The rooms are given the name
according to the theme of the interior such as: Victorian Suite,
Gujarat Suite, Jaipur Suite, Coutnry Room, Art Deco room, Tribal
room, etc.
Most rooms are located around the central courtyard, which is a very
good place for evening sit-outs under the star-studded sky. The
local vegetable dye prints from Bagh has been used in all the rooms.
To enable the guest to enjoy the romanticism created by open space
and tranquil atmosphere, there are no televisions inside the rooms
or in the public areas. Apart from the very high ceilings, the walls
are very thick therefore the inside temperature of the palace
remains quite controlled, hence no air-conditioning is needed. There
are telephones in the rooms and public areas. All rooms have
attached bathroom, fitted with all modern fittings and 24-hours hot
and cold running water.
Room View
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