Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal

Tripoto
21st Nov 2013
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 1/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Luxury in the bath
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 2/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
The palace dinning room
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 3/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Palace Lobby
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 4/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Palace room
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 5/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
The garden
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 6/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Garden
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 7/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
THE DHOLPUR PALACE
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 8/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 9/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 10/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 11/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 12/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 13/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 14/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 15/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 16/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 17/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 18/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 19/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 20/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 21/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
The Machkund Temple
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 22/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
The Deity
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 23/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 24/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Luxury in the land of " Baaghis"- Dholpur and Chambal 25/25 by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant

Dhaulpur - Its truly a hidden gem. Just off the Agra - Gwalior highway, 55 kms from Agra is the Dhaulpur Palace... a great weekend destination to soak in luxury as well as to explore the " behaads" of Chambal. Dhaulpur, a small town of Rajasthan sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, is roughly midway between Agra and Gwalior, approx 1 hr drive to reach either one. Dhaulpur was a protectorate of the British East India Company from 1779 on wards. In 1949, it merged with the young Indian nation and in 1956 the princely state ceased to exist.
The Raj Niwas Palace or dhaulpur palace , as it is popularly known, was built to welcome HRH Albert Edward, when he visited in 1876.
Accomodation options in the property are 1) the huge suites in the main palace with high ceiling rooms, period furnitures and intricately designed tiles 2) the modern garden villas with private pools in the well maintained garden area.
We had opted for the garden villas ( a more economic and affordable option :-) )

At present, a young couple is in charge of the maintenance of the property.... and they do their job quiet well. The environment and the staff really make you feel pampered and royal !!

Things to do - Just 4 kms from the property is the Chambal Gharial Sanctuary . You can go for a motor boat trip on the chambal river. We could spot a large no. of gharials , crocodiles, tortoise and migratory birds. The nearby Machkund temple surprised us. Built in the style of Pushkar, the place has 108 temples scattered around a central lake. So beautiful but so little known.
We also did a bit of chambal village and " beehad" walking.

We started from Noida and zoomed through the Yamuna expressway to Agra. The expressway stretch takes 1.5 hours. The next stretch is crossing the clingy Agra city which sets you back by an hour. Once you are out of the Agra city limits on the Gwalior Highway, Dhaulpur Palace is just 50 kms and 50 minutes away. On reaching, we were welcomed and escorted to our Villa - with a private pool. The villas are designed on different colour themes- blues and pink and beige etc. The main door opens to a central courtyard with the private plunge pool and a pool-side dining arrangement. There are separate bedroom area and sitting area. The bathroom of the villas are huge - I guess its more than 15 feet X 15 feet in size. Package included all meals- and I must tell you my dear friends- they pamper you like Kings and queens-specially with the food. Huge choice and huge servings !! We were shown around the property by their friendly staff. The visit of the palace along with the story of the place is amazing. Care has been taken to preserve the main palace rooms , the tiles, the woodworks , the furnitures ,and the bathroom fittings. The place exudes royalty. Within their property they also have an organic farm which grows vegetables for the restaurant...exhibiting green and sensible tourism.
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Palace Road, Sirmathura, Dhaulpur, Rajasthan, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
After few hours of splashing in the pool and a sumptous breakfast, we headed for a short 10 minutes drive to the banks of Chambal river where we were supposed to start the river cruise through the Chambal Gharial Sanctuary National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi) tri-state protected area in northern India for the critically endangered gharial (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin. Located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it was first declared in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states. Within the sanctuary the pristine Chambal River cuts through mazes of ravines and hills with many sandy beaches. The river safari is a unique experience, unlike anything on the Indian wildlife circuit.In the the hour-long cruise , we did get to meet the gharial and turtles and so many migratory birds. Post Lunch ( in no way fogetting the grandeur of the lunch!), it was time to explore the (in)famous chambal "Beehads"- the unique landscape of Chambal we have all seen in movies!. It was a thrill to step into the world of Phoolan Devi.
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Chambel River, Madhya Pradesh, India by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
The third morning was spent exploring the nearby Machkund Temple. It commands a picturesque view. The place is named after Raja Muchchhukand, the 24th of the Suryavanshi Dynasty (the solar race) who is said to have reigned nineteen generations before Lord Ram. According to legend, Raja Muchchhkund was sleeping here when demon Kaal Yaman (while pursuing lord Krishna) accidentally woke him up. The demon Kaal Yaman was burnt to ashes because of a divine blessing to Raja Muchchhkund. It is now a sacred place for pilgrims. After another heavy lunch session and the final rounds of splash in the pool, it was time to head for home. The bliss and energy gathered was enough to drive us till the next getaway.
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant
Photo of Machkund Temple, Madhya Pradesh by Sanghamitra Biswas Jayant