When one thinks of India's royal past, the mind instantly goes to stately Jaipur in Rajasthan in western India. In the east, Indian Princesses Mrinalika and Akshita Manjari Bhanj Deo – one of the few royal women in the country who have taken charge of their ancestral home – are crafting a future for their regal lineage.
Mayurbhanj was the largest princely state of the Eastern States Agency, with a dynastic lineage spanning from 697 AD. Today, off the typical tourist trail in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, the two-century-old Belgadia Palace stands out with grandeur in the small heritage town of Baripada, where everything else is subtle and modest.
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Princesses Mrinalika and Akshita Manjari Bhanj Deo, the 48th generation of the Bhanja dynasty, inherited much more than the royal titles of Maharajkumaris and a centuries-old palace to call home. They also carry the responsibility that comes with such titles. As custodians of their legacy, they face the challenge of reviving thousands of years-old forgotten arts and culture and the toil required to ensure the 18th-century walls look as they did in their heyday during the royal era.
Both Mrinalika and Akshita Manjari Bhanj Deo studied abroad. When they set out to restore their ancestral Belgadia palace in 2016, the Indian princesses not only uncovered forgotten love stories, hidden memorabilia, and portraits, but they also gained a deep understanding of the palace's history and heritage – what it means to hold a title and how to carry forward their legacies through purposeful projects. As you pass through the neoclassical gates, mango groves and jasmine scents greet you across the 8-hectare estate. From the outside, the all-white palace displays a colonial façade, but within, it pays homage to the Kalinga dynasty, one of the oldest dynasties that flourished in the region nearly 1,000 years ago through its culture, art, and cuisine.
Monogrammed staircase rails, mahogany stairs, vintage vinyl records, Persian carpets, Belgian chandeliers, and black-and-white portraits make Belgadia Palace seem stuck in time. At the same time, vibrant blue, red, and green rooms with designer wallpapers and checkered verandahs look like they are plucked out of a Wes Anderson film. Since Belgadia palace was originally a guest house for foreign dignitaries and royal visitors there is no dearth of spaces to be entertained: Think libraries with rare books, a century-old billiard room, an Ayurvedic spa, tearooms, a theatre room and manicured lawns with a terracotta brick-built amphitheatre that fits close to a 100. The six beautifully restored historical suites and six palace rooms take centre stage, each unique in its own way.
The Bengal Renaissance Suite is the most storied one. It echoes the rebellious love stories of Maharani Sucharu Devi, the second wife of HH Maharaja Sri Ram Chandra Bhanj Deo, the dynasty's most famous ruler, also known as the philosopher king. Sucharu Devi was the daughter of the famed social reformer Keshab Chandra Sen and goddaughter of Rabindranath Tagore, the renowned Bengali poet, writer, social reformer, and painter. Tagore was also the first non-European lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sucharu Devi became the queen of Mayurbhanj following the passing of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo's first wife and her subsequent marriage to the Maharaja.
The royal couple was known for their affinity for promoting patronage amongst famous artists of the region and building healthcare and education institutions across the region. The suite is a tribute to Sucharu Devi’s love for art, culture, and intellect. Bengal's iconic red laterite soil inspires the red and gold decor. Within the high ceilings and large bay windows, Sucharu Devi strategised ways to shape the cultural landscape of Bengal in pre-independent India. A wallpaper from the famous Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi adds a carefully considered touch. “He is, after all, one of the most iconic contemporary designers from the East of India that's recognised globally,” says Mrinalika.
The art in the room includes paintings by famed artists of the Bengal Renaissance, and the memorabilia in the room includes a custom antique kerosene fan and the last of the golden gilded claw-foot bathtubs.
While both princesses are from the lineage of the first wife, Maharani Laxmi Kumari of Porahat, a princely state now in present-day Bihar, the matriarchal power runs in the dynasty. The Bhanjas, with a legacy rooted in the matrilineal Bhauma-Kara dynasty (that ruled in eastern India, in the 8th century which is now Odisha), have long upheld the tradition of powerful women shaping their lineage and influence. The princesses are using it to continue the legacy of being patrons of the arts and culture of the region for the future.
“A vacation trip with my friend in Jordan made me think about how protective the Middle East is of its past and living heritage. It would have been easy for Akshita and me to settle abroad with our corporate jobs rather than return to Mayurbhanj to take on the project of restoring 200-year-old walls – but this was more rewarding,” contemplates Mrinalika.
Odisha is a state with many Indigenous tribes but there aren't many royal families in India that closely connect themselves with the tribes of India as the Bhanj Deo family does. Not just in the superficial sense of sharing the same clan name with a tribal community, the Bhanja tribe, but also by supporting Indigenous craft, cuisine, and culture.
“As we began renovating Belgadia Palace, we quickly realised there was much more to restore than its stately walls. Centuries-old traditional crafts and practices of the region struggled to find relevance in the modern world”, says Mrinalika.
The Chhau dance is one of them. A warrior dance similar to the sword dance of Ardah in the Arabian Peninsula, Chhau was initially a form of physical training to keep soldiers fit. As the need for war and combat diminished in the modern world, the princesses promoted the revival of Mayurbhanj Chhau by encouraging women to learn the ancient martial arts dance as well as turn it into a form of sustainable livelihood with regular performances for the palace guests. “It was very important to keep this dance alive as my ancestors were the ones who started it, and it is part of our intangible heritage”, says Mrinalika.
Dhokra metal art dates back to the Mohenjo-Daro civilisation, which flourished 4,000 years ago. The Dancing Girl, the most famous sculpture of this technique, dates back to 2300 BCE. It is an art of metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique. Belgadia Palace has become a living museum showcasing this art in its living rooms and parlours.
Similarly, the Sabai grass craft had travelled a long way from Madagascar to Mayurbhanj. Originally a strong, long grass growing in Madagascar, it was introduced to the predominantly agrarian local tribes of the region. These tribes started to make utilitarian items such as ropes and baskets. Today, Belgadia Palace sources table mats and coasters crafted from Sabai grass by these tribes for its luxurious dinner spreads. The palace's boutique store, Hasa Atelier, also offers fashion and travel accessories made from perennial grass.
Every guest in Mayurbhanj can experience these arts and crafts up close as part of the guest experience. From guided tours to craft villages and dinners with performances of the Mayurbhanj Chhau dance, a stay in Mayurbhanj goes far beyond the cliché of a regal residence masquerading as a luxury hotel. It instils a deep sense of place and value for history. Since the palace is also the home of the royals, the 'Pinch Me' moment happens when you can have tea in the Mayurbhanj state parlour with the royal family, exchanging stories of yore.
Mrinalika says: “Belgadia is our home, and we have opened its doors to global travellers to experience the finest of Kalinga hospitality as it was always intended. From the first day it became a boutique hotel, we ensured guests felt welcomed and pampered with personalised bespoke services, as is our tradition. Every brick laid here tells a story of resilience and passion. The challenges we faced were steep, but they only fuelled our determination to create a space that resonates with the spirit of our land.” thebelgadiapalace.com
