In Rajasthan every second hotel has Palace either prefixed or suffixed to its title and every other barber and paan-wala proclaims to have some royal connection! Don’t be misled by the regal titles, which are used rather liberally in this land of kings.

To understand the genesis of the Heritage Hotels in Rajasthan, a quick glimpse into the past would be worthwhile. Long before the Moghuls or the British had set foot in India, there existed a social structure consisting of the Rajas and Maharajas at the top of the social pyramid, ruling through an age-old system of Thakurs or Thikanedars who had their virtual fiefdom in the form of what were known as Thikanas, in the erstwhile Rajputana.

Apart from the Maharajas and Thakurs, there was another influential segment of the feudal system – which was the community of traders, known as the Marwaris, who yielded immense clout and even financed wars. The community remains as powerful today, long after the Maharajas lost their states after India became independent.

The Moghuls and the British did not think it important to rock the boat, as along as the Maharajas along with their subjects conceded to their sovereignty. The problem arose only when the Maharaja questioned the dictate of the Badshah or the Viceroy at Delhi.

Things changed after India became independent in 1947. The entire order, which had been in existence for millenniums, came crumbling down. The Maharajas were left with their Palaces, Thakurs with their Garhs and little else. The first rung of the nobility still had the wealth which could last for a few generations, but the Thakurs were the worst hit. They took up jobs in the government - in the new dispensation as ordinary mortals – something their forefathers had never done before. TOP^

The Palaces and the Garhs became unmanageable in the absence of a regular income. A number of impressive Thikanas were sold out to the best bidder and some grand mansions were put up on sale and fortunately could not be sold even at throwaway prices. Samode, one of the finest Heritage hotels today, was being offered for five-Lakhs ($ 10,000) as late as 1980! The property today is worth several million dollars and run by two bright descendants of the family who have revived its past glory.

Heritage hotels can be classified in three main categories – Palaces, Forts (erstwhile Garhs or Hill Forts), Havelis and lastly Colonial Mansions.

Palaces:
The first rung of the nobility usually lived in palaces sprawled over a huge area, which included manicured gardens, gold painted interiors, ponds and other facilities fit for the royalty. Until the 19th century, the palaces were rather rustic, though quite grand in terms of scale. Some of the more popular palaces which are today heritage hotels, came into being in the early 20th century with increased interaction between the British and the Indian Royalty. They were usually built by a set of British architects who were popular with the Maharajas – Swinton Jacob was the brain behind Lallgarh Palace of Bikaner as well as the Umed Bhawan Palace in Kota. Lancaster, who lost out the contract to Lutyens for building the Vice regal lodge in Delhi, realised his ambition by creating the grand Umaid Bhawan of Jodhpur.

Some Palaces which are Heritage Hotels today: Umaid Bhawan Palace, Lallgarh Palace and Shiv Niwas Palace.

Garhs / Thikanas (Castles):
The Thakurs had their own area of control where their writ ran large. The Garhs in which they lived with their families were imposing and often rustic structures usually built on a hilltop and well fortified. They were located at strategic locations around the state. Some Thikanas of larger states were even larger than some smaller states!

Some Garhs, which are Heritage Hotels today: Deogarh, Mandawa, Samode and Khimsar. TOP^

Havelis:
The Marwaris lived either near a thikana or at the state capital in mansions, which were called havelis. Besides the havelis of the merchants, some of the larger thikanas too had havelis or colonial mansions at the state capital as well. This acted as their residence when they were visiting the king.

Havelis often have a large central courtyard and are usually located in crowded areas, in the heart of the city. Shekhwati, Bikaner and Jaisalmer have some of the finest Havelis in the state.

Some Havelis which are Heritage Hotels Today: Bhanwar Niwas, Samode Haveli and Piramal Haveli.