Ghanerao was built in 1606 as the residence of the Mertiya Rathore Thakurs, and it has been added onto ever since, as the family themselves put it, out of necessity and whim. Seventeen rooms in marble and red sandstone, and the family still in residence.
The village sits roughly equidistant from Jodhpur and Udaipur at the foot of the Aravallis, with Kumbhalgarh's hills to the east and the Ranakpur JainJainA follower of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion whose central commitment is non-violence towards every living thing.Read in the glossary temples about forty-five minutes away. Guests are staying in a family home that takes guests, not a hotel with a family attached.
Why We Place Guests Here
- Four centuries in one family, and they say plainly that this is a home rather than a commercial hotel — it reads that way from the first evening.
- The small museum on site holds the family's own elephant howdahs and palanquins.
- Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur are both within an easy morning, which makes this the most useful base on that stretch of the Aravallis.
The Table
- Rajasthani cooking served in the castle
- Courtyard meals
- Breakfast before the Kumbhalgarh run
The Elevated India Signature
The howdah museum opened up after dinner by whoever of the family is at home.
Questions, Answered
How far is Ghanerao from Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur?
Ranakpur's Jain temples are about forty-five minutes away by the family's own reckoning, with Kumbhalgarh Fort and its wildlife sanctuary also within reach. Jawai leopard country is a further run.
Is Ghanerao Royal Castle a hotel or a private house?
Both. It has been the family's home since 1606 and remains so; seventeen rooms in three heritage categories are given over to guests.
Journeys That Take You There
Photography: Photograph courtesy Ghanerao Royal Castle