When people hear the word "palace," they often envision grand structures with intricately carved marble, elaborate woodwork, and luxurious interiors. However, I am visiting a palace that showcases a different kind of beauty.
This palace features simple yet stunning architecture made of laterite stone, complemented by beautifully carved wooden doors and arches. It is clean and well-maintained, blending seamlessly into the surrounding atmosphere. Located beside Moti Talav (Lake), it is a popular tourist attraction in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
This site represents a proud piece of historical heritage for both locals and the wider region of Maharashtra. Currently, it serves as the residence of the royal family and has been transformed into an art museum and boutique art hotel.
Before a little history of this palace, let’s take a moment to explore some history about this remarkable structure. The palace was constructed in the 18th century by the Maratha ruler Raja Khem Sawant. The Sawant-Bhosale dynasty, which ruled the princely state, arrived in the region during the 16th century. This dynasty held sway over South Konkan for a long period and was the feudal holder of the hereditary right of Deshmukh under the rule of Adil Shahi.
Generations trace back to the renowned Sardar Khem Sawant II, who established his capital at Sundarwadi, known today as Sawantwadi. The coronation of the last ruler, Pancham Khemraj—also known as Bapusaheb Maharaj—took place in 1924. Following India’s independence and the subsequent merger of princely states, this state was integrated into the Indian Union, and the 18th-century royal palace was later converted into a boutique art hotel run by the royal couple, who were educated at the Culinary Institute of America.
Part of the palace is open to visitors from around the world, allowing them to explore history, art, nature, and architecture.
We often visit Sawantwadi. This time we had an appointment with the dentist. According to the schedule, we arrived quite early. We had some time, and we were thinking about what to do. Many times, we thought of visiting this palace; this time, we had the opportunity to do so. We drove in that direction, totally opposite to our dentist's office.
The entrance to the property
From the palace, on the other side of the lake our dentist's clinic.
It was located beside the lake, but the lake and the palace are separated from the old Goa-Bombay Highway. Expect some traffic, it was very quiet, and the fresh air and green trees made it cool.
After parking our car, we just followed the arch, which is the entrance to the palace. Visitors can park their cars in the parking place. The whole area is made of laterite stone, typical of Indo-Saracenic design. The architectural style is a hybrid of native Maratha, European, and traditional Konkani styles.
The area is very cool, with nicely maintained garden, coconut palms, and cool air from lake.
this is the entrance gate to get in palace.ca. 6 meters But only open a small port of it.
Here you can buy the ticket just 30cents.$ 0.30.
When we step inside the courtyard we see the typical Konkan style architecture.
One of the side houses has a museum.
Related to the royal family and traditional style of hand-painted, miniature Indian art, Ganjifa card painting and Lacquerware. traditional art. If you want to know about it, link here:https://sawantwadipalace.com/Art
In this area, there is little influence from European architectural styles. The primary reason for this is the Marathas' focus on protecting their subjects and their kingdom. As a result, they directed their resources towards strengthening their military forces, which meant that very little money was spent on the construction of palaces or on a luxurious lifestyle.
In another section of the palace, the main hall(meeting hall) is located, which is also used as a museum. Here we can see more things related to the history. The throne, royal family photos, Little richness in the interior.
First time saw the Noni fruit and tree in that place.
This is about our visit to Sawantwadi Palace before meeting our dentist.
When we were visiting that place, we hadn't prepared for the visit. We had very simple, casual clothes. We didn't explore the hotel, but next time we should do that and get more details about this place. Hope all of you are doing well.
Thank you!
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