Styling Heritage Palace Belgadia Palace

The extravagantly decorated Belgadia Palace of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj is a heritage building depicting the rarest engineering skills and architectural excellence of a bygone era.

The construction of the palace has been completed in different phases. The first phase of the palace was constructed on orders of Maharani Sumitra Devi Bhanj Deo in 1804, who ruled the state from 1796 to 1810. The palace got its aura of majesty with the intricate designs during the rule of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Bhanj Deo (1868-1882), Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo (1882-1912) and finally during the rule of Maharaja Pratap Chandra Bhanj Deo (1928-1948). This stately property has now been converted into a boutique hotel.

The Architect

The palace portrays a mixture of Greek and Victorian architecture, which has been constructed using lime mortar. It is a classic western style double-storey structure of brick having a Corinthian column.

Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo made some major additions to the palace in 1892, which included 25 rooms, a dining room, museum, living room, 3 kitchens, 2 living rooms, 2 libraries, a billiards room, 2 gardens, 1 temple, 2 offices with a front and back sprawling lawn and a long drive-in from the main road with an adjoining lake at the back. All these have been extensively restored and have now been transformed into a thriving holiday destination. To add to the beauty, the palace is built on a hill surrounded by orchards and groves.

The Restoration

Architect and Interior Designer, Pooja Bihani, a close friend of the royal family, worked closely with Mrinalika Bhanjdeo, to conceptualise the design that stays true to the rich heritage of the property so that the restoration work is carried out meticulously.