"Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob's red sandstone palace for the Maharaja of Bikaner, with billiard and card rooms and an indoor pool"
Lallgarh Palace was commissioned over a century ago by Maharaja Ganga Singhji of Bikaner, and has stood against the desert sun ever since, deep in the Thar at Bikaner.
Its architect was Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, who valued the contribution of local Indian craftsmen. The result is a blend of east and west that the palace considers among the most remarkable royal residences built during the nineteenth century: classical Mughal and Rajput work on the outside, British interiors within, complete with billiard, smoking and card rooms. The exterior carries the distinctive hue of Thar red sandstone, and the cupolas, domes and balconies were carved so finely that the solid stone still has the fragile appearance of lace.
Inside there is an indoor swimming pool, the Padam Mahal restaurant and the Thunderbolt Bar. Rooms run from twin and deluxe king through suite king to the Lallgarh Suite.
A red-sandstone palace on the edge of the Thar, raised by the Maharaja of Bikaner in 1904 and famous, even then, for guests who never quite wanted to leave. Domes and cupolas, deep-carved friezes, filigree stonework and latticed screens, set in formal lawns. The Laxmi Niwas Palace is the royal house of Bikaner, now a heritage hotel.
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New Gaj Kesri sits just outside Bikaner proper, a 45-room resort the operator bills as a timeless retreat blending majestic architecture with the vast beauty of the Thar. It pitches itself at travellers chasing the soul of Rajasthan beyond the famous forts, though Junagarh Fort and the Rampuria havelis are barely three kilometres away. Days fill easily: an outdoor pool, camel rides, jeep safaris, cricket and kite flying, then pure-vegetarian Rajasthani thali-style feasting at Polki.
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New A late 19th century haveli behind Junagarh Fort in the heart of Bikaner, once a royal residence and still run by the family. Deluxe and heritage rooms in classical Rajasthani style, with a cafe restaurant and gardens.
Rates on request, usually back within the hour
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