 Maharaja Gaj Singh II ascended the throne of Rajasthan’s Marwar-Jodhpur
region at the age of four, after his father, Maharaja Hanwant Singh, died in a
plane crash in 1952. When in 1971 the Indian government stripped regional
princes of their powers and taxpayer-supplied purses, the young leader of the
Marwar clan turned to tourism. As part of his endeavor, Singh II began
converting his family’s properties—including their primary residence, the Umaid
Bhawan Palace in the Blue City of Jodhpur—into hotels.Today, the Maharaja
lives with his family in a private section of the Umaid Bhawan, which was named
after his grandfather and the building’s creator, Maharaja Umaid Singh. “I want
those who come here to feel they are beyond being just guests,” says Singh II.
“Rather, they are friends in my home.”  The Maharaja’s home, which his
grandfather commissioned in 1929, is a marvel of golden yellow Chittar sandstone
that presents a sharp contrast to Jodhpur’s sea of pale blue buildings (the
source of the city’s nickname). The palace was built without cement; instead,
workers used interlocking bricks to construct the 215,000-square-foot behemoth,
which combines the diverse architectural styles of Indo-Saracen (itself a blend
of Hindu and Islamic styles) and Art Deco.
 The Umaid Bhawan sits on Chittar
Hill in Jodphur, amid 26 acres of gardens where wild peacocks and green parrots
live amid bougainvillea and rose bushes. The sounds of flute and santour music
float through the palace’s lobby, reverberating inside a 105-foot-high rotunda
dome. Outside and from almost any vantage, the property affords views of
Mehrangarh Fort, a 15th-century citadel that Singh II converted into a cultural
museum.
At the center of the palace grounds is the Bardari, a white
marble–pillared pavilion where members of the royal family frequently join
guests on silk floor cushions for multicourse meals. The hotel, which is managed
by the Indian chain Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, is in the process of an
ongoing restoration, with workers slowly retouching its marble squash courts,
the swimming pool, and the Art Deco detailing near the guest suites. “We go inch
by inch, section by section,” says the Maharaja. “We want the spirit of history
to reverberate within the walls, for all to see and feel.”
LOCATION
In Jodhpur, Rajasthan, about 2 miles from the city’s airport, 3
miles from the railway station, and 375 miles southwest of New
Delhi.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The 75 guest rooms include the Maharani Suite, which
has a bath carved from a single piece of pink Italian marble, and the Maharaja
Suite, where murals depict African hunting scenes and a bar is concealed in the
drawing room.
FACILITIES
Marble squash courts, a new JIVA spa and health
club, a palace museum, and a tiled swimming pool.
DINING
Risala is the hotel’s formal indoor restaurant, while Pillars offers indoor and outdoor dining
with views of the gardens and the Bardari. Private dining is available at nearby
Mehrangarh Fort, a 15th-century fortress that for ages prevented desert
marauders from invading Jodhpur.
CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS
A half-day trip to
Jodhpur’s Sardar Market, an open-air bazaar where vendors hawk everything from
silver filigree bracelets to dental work.
RATES
From $485 to $3,675,
depending on the room and season.
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