Jodhpur's Enigmatic Maharaj

Raghavendra Rathore in conversation with Riaan Jacob George.

- Riaan Jacob George

At the stately Ajit Bhawan heritage hotel in Jodhpur, there is a thin white picket fence that discreetly cordons off the hotel’s public areas from the private residence of its owner, Raghavendra Rathore. I catch up with Rathore, descendant of the Rathore family of Jodhpur, one balmy evening in Jodhpur and he leads me across the aforementioned picket fence, into his residence. The “reception room” is a museum in itself, a grandiose space characterised by royal portraits, antiques, objets d’art and an elaborate crystal bar. It is a repository of a glorious bygone era, but restored and coddled to perfection—a veritable recreation of an epoch. This salon, Rathore says, is off-limits to Ajit Bhawan’s guests, but can be accessed by a few select guests on request. As gracious, liveried staff wait on us hand and foot, serving up hors d’oeuvres and wine in exquisite glassware, Rathore recounts about life as a royal in modern India, his initiatives as a luxury entrepreneur, his efforts as a hotelier and, of course, his passion for the ubiquitous bandhgala; he has been instrumental in its rise to popularity. In his own words, then...

“The city of Jodhpur is an enigma for first-time travellers and a delightful oasis for ones returning to soak in its rich culture and fascinating sights and sounds. The city has earned accolades for being a haven for customisation and manufacturing of specialised lifestyle products. Wooden and stone carved products are shipped in mammoth numbers to various corners of the world.