The facade of Vijay Vilas Palace at Palitana
A long, dusty drive from Ahmedabad takes travellers to a Jain pilgrimage hub, Palitana. Veering off 4km from there in the direction of Adpur, so named after the first Jain tirthankar, Adinath, lies a forested grove bearing the tiniest road sign: Vijay Vilas Palace. The dirt track offers no clue to the grandeur that awaits the wayfarer in the form of the century-old palace beyond the imposing wrought-iron gates.
Located on the foothills of the Shatrunjaya hills renowned for the cluster of Palitana temples (that can be reached after climbing 3,500 steps), the palace, built in 1906, offers views of the hill and historic temples from every strategic corner.
The stone building that will be converted into a cottage for tourists and (below) a Jain temple at Adpur
As the car draws to a halt under a covered portico, we are greeted by the royals themselves: Yashpal Singh and his petite wife, Nitya. The gracious welcome, together with the cool and lofty interiors, comes as a balm after the heat and dust of the journey, even in winter. Quite unlike the other Vijay Vilas Palace in Gujarat, the one of Lagaan fame on the Gulf of Kutch at Mandvi, this one has a more homely feel.
Nitya and Yashpal Singh and (below) the drawing room with Raj era artefacts
Originally hailing from Amleta in Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh), Yashpal inherited the heritage property, built by his maternal great-grandfather Vijay Singh. Started in 2005 as a heritage homestay, the Singhs opened their doors to travellers (mainly foreign tourists) after renovations. They have plans to turn nine pretty stone outhouses in the garden into cottages for visitors in the near future.
The wedding album of a Palitana princess with Raja Hari Singh of Kashmir
The wood and cane antique furniture, the colourful swings on the verandahs, the stately drawing room with the photos and letters of Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last viceroy, induce the sense of history and intrigue.
Yashpal is happy to speak of his ancestors, especially Vijay Singh, who loved horses so much that he had a resident vet in the palace for them, but no doctor for the human inhabitants! The photos of the royal scion on horses abound in frames above doors and on the mantelpiece. The albums and clippings are a treasure trove.
Profusion of blooms in
the garden
Nitya, meanwhile, personally supervises and serves the typically Gujarati meals (though they include non-vegetarian fare and European cuisine for finicky foreign guests): her rotla made of bajra and Kathiyawadi dishes are not to be missed!
In the sprawling garden, peacocks, pigeons and parrots abound. Wild boar and leopards are not uncommon, besides the rare leonine roar. Lions have been known to cross the hills and sighted in Palitana. But save the wildlife for Gir; while at Vijay Vilas Palace, revel in the heritage, hospitality and the class only royalty can bestow.
The Vijay Vilas Palace. Pictures by author
