Weekend Getaway in the Rajbari Bawali, India

Day 1 – Classic Accommodation in the Rajbari

Spending a weekend in the Rajbari Bawali where once the Zamindars of Bengal, India led lives of wealth and privilege sounds interesting. The Zamindars, also called as Nawabs or Thakurs, were elite people who lived in finest luxury. Their lives were an unique fusion of battles, conspiracy, art, love, music, literature, dance, and also business. The Rajbari, meaning a mansion or palace, at Bawali, near Kolkata – the former capital of India. It dates back to more than 250 years ago, which ruined after India’s independence in 1947. But lately, this almost dilapidated mansion has been restored to a heritage hotel and now open to guests. I and Richie had a wonderful time spent over the weekend in the lap of history, in a world away in time.

Highlights of the Day

• Transfer from Kolkata to Rajbari
• Rajbari Bawali

Kolkata to The Rajbari

I reached Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday. Richie, being from Kolkata, picked me up easily and we drove around 35 km south. It took an hour and half to reach the  Rajbari. It is a majestic two-storey palace resplendent in Italian architectural motifs, built by a small lake in the village of Bawali.

Guests are usually welcomed at the entrance of the Rajbari by female staff wearing Bengali-style traditional white saree with red border and male staff wearing white dhoti like a loose piece of clothing. They carry out some religious rituals while welcoming the guests with sounds of conch shell and a huge membranophone instrument, locally called “dhak”.

History of the Rajbari

Legend says that around 300 years ago, the Mondal family – the ancestral occupants of the Rajbari – were given 120,000 hectares of lush Bengali farming land in return of their victory over a revolt with the Rajputs of Rajasthan.

Mondals lived like royals under the patronage of the East India Company during the British Raj – the era when the Britishers ruled India.

The Mondals soon transformed the small village of Bawali into an extraordinary town of temples and palaces. They owned a 400-strong private army and each of their enchanting temples had a multitude of priests to worship Bon Bibi, the Goddess of the Forest, and Dakshin Rai, the God of the Tigers, and also Lord Krishna – an eminent Hindu God, for whom the first temple the Sri Radha Kamtajiu was built in the area.

Gradually, the families started to scatter to rebuild their own lives. Many members left, few of them stayed to caught up in the memories of their former glory, but eventually, the Rajbari was deserted.

Unfortunately, post India’s independence in 1947, the fiefdom act that allowed kingdoms to collect taxes from farmers was abolished –  this brought the downfall of the Mondal family and soon the abandonment of Rajbari. It was soon inhabited by snakes and had trees growing through its once-lustrous, silky-smooth walls.

Restoration of the Property

Ajay Rawla purchased the property in 2009, and after several years of restoration, in December 2015, the Rajbari opened its doors to guests.

Ajay Rawla, the current owner, came across the property by accident in 2008. First he was stumbled by the scrambled long forgotten and dilapidated temples of the village, and when he crossed the road and entered through a small, crumbled archway to see what lay inside, he was fascinated by the grandeur of courtyard.

Despite its shabby state, he felt an obvious richness to the structure, glory in its architecture, romance in its design and decided to restore the property to preserve the luxury, style, and grace of the Zamindars of Bengal, before it gets lost altogether to the damaging effects of time.

Their initial aim was to restore and preserve the architectural heritage of a family and building which predates the colonial era of the country;  however, they soon realized the potential to turn this into the most remarkable heritage property in the state and the first restoration project of its kind.

Rooms in the Rajbari

We had classic room for our overnight stay in the spectacular Rajbari. There are different types of rooms. However, all rooms come with flat-screen TV, water heater, tea and coffee facilities, and air-conditioner, and are decorated with chunky farm-style antique furniture.

1. Classic Room: This category of rooms are the most leading in the Rajbari, featuring high ceiling, four poster bed, a bookshelf or two, with en-suite, spacious bathroom.

   

   

   

2. Zamindari: This is similar to a junior suite that is bigger than the classic rooms, with an additional space for a separate seating area and stocked bookshelf.
3. Royal Suites: Rooms of this type have a separate living room, bedroom, and bathroom, which mostly replicates the style of the Zamindars.
4. Chota Bari: There are four rooms of this kind in a row in a separate building overlooking a garden full of hibiscus flowers and adjacent to the pool.
   

   

5. Dak Bungalow: It is a spacious bungalow with two bedrooms located in the grounds, as elegantly furnished as the main palace.
   

   

   

6. Ashram: Construction is on-going for this type of rooms.

   

Beautiful Day in the Palace

We slept off as we reached the Rajbari – yes, we were pretty tired. But the morning turned out to be very pretty when we woke up – it was almost noon then.

After we became fresh, it was already time for lunch, which was supposed to be served in the dinner hall that is located inside the “Thakur Dalaan.”

Authentic vegetarian Bengali cuisine was served to us, but I was disheartened at the choice of vegan food. I had mentioned in the mail that I am vegan, which means I do not use anything that comes from animal that includes not only meat but no dairy as well. They had few dairy products in the lunch menu and also desserts that had disheartened me a bit, but otherwise the vegan options tasted awesome.

After lunch, we spent sometime in the public lounge before exploring other parts of this spectacular palace mansion.

Later, we explored other parts of the beautiful and majestic Rajbari.

The heritage palace has facilities like spa and wellbeing treatments, detoxification therapies leading to weight management and anti-aging, yoga and meditation, emotional wellbeing, and ayurvedic therapies.

We spent an hour in a swing by the natural pool next to the spa, and talked of life and travel and what not – I and Richie can pull off hours talking on anything and everything.

Beautiful Evening in the Rajbari

During the late afternoon, we paid a visit to the dungeon just next to the “Thakur Dalaan” on its right side.

Apart from restoring the property, the owner has also been successful in preserving the glory and magnificence of the extraordinary lifestyle that the Zamindars of Bengal would have enjoyed. There is also a strong focus on showcasing and supporting the local arts and crafts still employed by the surrounding village communities.

Dinner is usually served there from 9 PM, and we enjoyed authentic Bengali cuisine for dinner that involved hot khichdi made from rice and lentils, roti that is Indian flatbread, with various vegetable curry options followed by desserts. Again, I had no vegan option in dessert, unfortunately I had to avoid.

Day 2 – Last Day in the Palace Mansion

I highly recommend an overnight stay or two to travelers who are interested in history and want to experience how life was to the Zamindars of the Bengal during the pre-independence era of India. It would be a great experience to taste the history while enjoying all the luxurious amenities.

Highlights of the Day

• Leisure

Breakfast in the Rajbari

We had a sound sleep in the super comfortable bed our room got. Our overnight stay included breakfast. Though breakfast is usually served in the dinner hall, but we had requested the staff to serve the breakfast in our room. The staff is very helpful, courteous, and always wore a smile, and carried on our request without any hesitation.

What Else To Do in Rajbari Bawali?

If you have explored the huge area of the palace, and done with spa or not much interested with spa, then you can choose any of these options:

• There is a 2-h village walk experience where you can witness the local life of the village. You may catch the sight of a group of ladies washing pots in one of the village ponds, children biking wearing a big smile on their face, priests busy in worshiping, men loitering at the village shop chatting and smoking a bidi – a type of cheap cigarette made of unprocessed tobacco wrapped in leaves, etc. – the slow life around the Rajbari will surely lure you with its charm.
• Experience a cooking demonstration of authentic Bengali cuisine using fresh produce from the markets that you would get to visit along with the chef and then learn how to cook in the kitchen.
• You can explore the surrounding villages on your own in order to discover where the true heart of the state lies.
• You can also borrow one of the cycle bikes and head out on a 12-km journey of discovery, cycle along the riverside and discover the many different crafts and ways of life, this short stretch of road contains.

I and Richie just chose to spend time on our own as I had my flight in few hours’ time and next I would be meeting my partner in Europe a month later. Overall, we had a great time in one-of-a-kind restoration project of West Bengal, which has recreated the lifestyles of the Zamindars in both its esthetics and experiences.

Net Expense for 1 person (in ₹)

Let us have a look at the expense of  Days 1-2 in India – Rajbari Bawali.

• Stay including meal for twin sharing (1 night): 5,000

Total expense (roughly): 5,000 ₹

For a more customized itinerary, whether for solo or couple or group of any number of people, feel free to contact me on Contact Us page.

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