The Jayamahal Palace Hotel,Bangalore.Trip2blr |
Built around 1903 by a British Resident, the Jayamahal Palace Hotel was once a private residence and is believed to have been acquired from the Mysore Maharajah around the 1940's. The Jayamahal Palace hotel is presently owned by the grandson of the Maharajah Bhojrajji of Gondal, an erstwhile princely State in Gujarat. The palace became a hotel in 2005 and it was declared open by the then Maharajah Srikanta Datta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar, former MP. Looming behind the Cantonment station with a sprawling ground this majestic palace was once frequented by the British higher-ups in their heydays and is close to such well-known buildings as the Bangalore Palace the Raj Mahal Vilas and Gayatri Devi Park Extensions and to the east is Jayachamarajendra Nagar.
The design of multi- storied Jaya mahal palace vaguely carries the elements of Kathiawadi architect blended with Gothic style with covered portico, balconies, sloping sunshades,etc. The hotel is well embellished with beautiful decorations, tasty themes, featuring stained glasses, attractive furnishings, matching the exotic features of some states. For examples, the Gujarat Suite has murals of elephants and camel on the walls.The interiors of the heritage hotel were designed by Kumud Kumari of Gondal, wife of the owner. The ambiance brings out the nicety of royal life blended with wonders of modernity. The restaurants are also tastefully decorated and the walls based on different themes. In some restaurants on the wall one could see pictures of the Maharajah with his race cars. It seems the ruler was fond of expensive cars like other Maharajahs of by-gone era. This fine palace tucked away from the din of traffic in a placid place, it became a heritage hotel with 4-star amenities decades ago.
The Jayamahal Palace Hotel,Bangalore. weddingz.in |
The fine little palace tucked away from the din of the city in a serene place became a heritage hotel with four-star amenities a few decades ago and it is being managed by HH Maharaja Shri Jyotendrasinhji Vikramsinhji Sahib, the present `Thakore Saheb' of Gondal.
There exists a royal link between Godal and Mysore. Gondal (eleven gun salute) founded in 1634 was one of the eight first class princely states (eleven gun salute) in the Kathiawar region, enjoying all the luxuries, trappings of royal patronage, an array of heritage palaces, etc., in the past era. It is quite interesting to note that the princely states of north-western India and Bangalore have close royal ties as a result of the wedding of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV with the daughter of Rana Shri Banesinhji Sahib of Vana and the sister-in-law of Maharaja Thakore Shri Bhojirajsinhji Sahib of Gondal - HH Lakshmi Vilasa Sannidhana Sri Pratapa Kumari Devi Bai Ammanni Avaru, a princess from Kathiawar.
Yet another fact about the royal lineage is that Thakorani Vijaya Devi of Kotda Sangani (attached to Gondal in 1943) and Thakorani Sujayakantha Devi Sahiba of Sanand near Ahmedabad, were both royal princesses of Mysore and sisters to Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. His daughter Rajkumari Kamakshi Devi married the prince of Wadhwan. Thus, the Jayamahal palace reminds us the closeness of these famous royal families.
The colonial palace may appear simple, but its elegance can be appreciated only on a visit to this wonderful palace.
Ref:
http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/columns/others/jayamahal-palace-hotel-jayamahal-palace-road-icing-covered-cake-raj-mahal-vilas-gayatri-devi-park-extensions-jayachamarajendra-nagar/articleshow/41961657.cms
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/23/stories/2005052314440300.html