Shivavilas Palace, Sanduru, Bellary district, KA owned by the Marathi Brahmin Royals

Shivavilas palace, Sandur, Karnataka. facebook.com
 

Across India there are countless palaces of beauty and grandeur built by the Maharajahs of the Princely states that were part of the British empire.  The majority of them had spent lots of money to embellish the interiors to entertain the rich and famous and also the higher-ups from the  Raj.  No ordinary rich persons in India could surpass  Maharajahs they way they lived in grand style  with the garage full of expensive  imported cars.  The Shivavilas  located close to the world famous UNESCO monuments at Hampi  palace  was turned into a heritage hotel long ago.   Located close to the mountains and surrounded by wooded areas,  the fine unpolluted environment  and the easy vibe of this  beautiful place  offer the guests plenty of opportunities to relax and be free from madding urban life.


Shivavilas Palace, Sandur  civilsocietyonline.com


Shivavilas Palace,  belonging to the family of Maharajah  of Sandur,  Bellary district, Karnataka,   is now converted into a  heritage hotel. The Cambridge-educated scion of the ruling family   M.Y. Ghorpade,  handed over his  territory  to the Government of India in 1949 in response to integration of princely states and small Samasthanams.  Sandur  State was a small   princely state of India during the British Raj, part of the Madras Presidency; its capital being the town of Sanduru.   From 1731 until the accession to India, the princely state was ruled by Marathi Brahmin royals.  In July 1818 it became a British protectorate. Once it was home to many animals like  Indian gazelle, peacocks, panthers, deer,  etc. Rich in iron and manganese ores the district of Sanduru has  many wooded areas and mines. The mining operations near the Hindu temple are completely banned as the temples happen to be protected monuments - more than 1000 years old.. 


Sandur princely state (now karnataka), India. upload.wikimedia.org

We owe a debt of gratitude to  Sri late Vallabhai Patel  whose  courage,   determination and pragmatic approach  completed a tough job of integrating various small states.   He was instrumental in integrating  as many as  roughly 562  princely states across India . Apart, he did not give room to balkanization of newly formed country and handled a tough situation with vision and dexterity.   


integration of princely states after 1948. selfstudyhistory.com


the crux of the problem was the wily British after independence in 1947 lost the right to  continue  either paramountcy or the subsidiary alliances, hence  gave the rulers  the  choice between being independent or join the Indian Union. 


Shivavilas palace, Sandur, Bellary dis. KA..agoda.com


Shivavilas palace, Sandur, KA littlethingssnehal.blogspot.com


Nestled in the midst of lush greenery  on a vast plot of over  20 acres,   the hotel offers  a homely ambiance and plenty of opportunities  to loosen yourself and be from mundane stuff.  Among the spa, bhajan hall, temples, car museum, private lounge, play areas, etc.,   you can choose anything to relax. You can also go for a long stroll around the palace under the shadows of tall  trees.  


The advantage you have is it is close to  Hampi and is 18.1 km from Vidyanagar Airport, 8.6 km from Yeshwant Nagar Railway Station and 1.8 km from KSRTC BUS Depot.   Welcom Heritage Shivavilas Palace, Sandur is situated close to  Hampi  a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

Built in the 1900s, and  restored in 1941 with meticulous care, this palace has been a heritage hotel since  2012  under the management of  WelcomHeritage Hotel.  A  well-maintained driveway lined with trees leads to the red-domed majestic palace. 


Vintage cars, Shivavilas palace, sandur .tripzuki.com/hotels

It is a 2 story palace  covering  a total built-up area of 20000 sq.ft each.  In the open yard  there is a fine piece of a bronze statue of a lady with a lamp heralding a heart welcome to the guests. it was a gift from  the Raja of Pudukottai Samasthanam, Tamil  Nadu.   The pillars, the corridors and the arches of the two floors of the palace overlook the courtyard.   The first floor, the  is an attractive one  with  residential section comprising  12 rooms and suites of which the most favorite one is   Maharani Suite . Also impressive is the Maharajah suite. 


The palace's GF  has two temples, a billiards room with bar, and a ‘durbar hall, besides dinning area.  Additional  attractions are  a small library with rare books, etc.,  and  some over 100 years old, copies of National Geographic magazine. The Maharajah's garage includes mostly vintage cars a hunting Jeep, a Mercedes and a Dodge. The palace has enormous embellishment in many parts making the interiors more attractive. As to its architect, no information is available and the design is a blend of Indo European.


The local attraction here is the 1200 year old  temple, a protected monument  in the midst of a forest area dedicated to Kumaraswamy,  son of God Shiva. The temples were built by the then ruling dynasty - Chalukyas.  


”https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/travel/an-oasis-in-a-valley/