Finally, something good came out of the incessant scrolling on Instagram. Sometime back, I was stopped in my tracks by a photo posted by the gorgeous Bengali actress Mimi Chakraborty. But no, it wasn’t Mimi’s unquestionably good looks that made me pause. It was the shoot location. The Belgadia Palace in Baripada, Orissa.
A quick search revealed that this was the erstwhile royal palace of the Bhanj Deo dynasty of Mayurbhanj. It’s now been renovated, converted to a boutique hotel and thrown open to lesser mortals. And it looked fabulous. What’s more, it’s a rather accessible 5-hr drive away from Kolkata.
After following them on the Gram and lusting over the place for a couple of months, we booked to spend the extended Diwali weekend there.
The road to Baripada from Kolkata is excellent throughout. Most of it is along the national highway and even when you turn away from the highway near Jhargram, it continues to be well maintained and scenic.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with fanfare and shown into our rooms. They have a mix of regular rooms and suites. We were travelling as a family of six and had opted for one of each kind. Now, having stayed there, I would strongly recommend the suites. They are well worth the extra pocket pinch.
After a quick lunch, we headed for the village of Goaldihi, a half-hour drive from the palace. We had heard about the Sabai craft practised in the region and this tiny, bucolic village is the best place to see it in practice.
Women of the village operate a production facility cum training centre where they spend their afternoons weaving dried indigenous Sabai grass into beautiful objects of utility like baskets, lampshades and purses among other things. This initiative not only helps sustain a traditional craft but also gives some measure of economic independence to the women and supplements their family income. The show is run entirely by women and is a heartwarming example of what grassroots (pun intended) development can achieve.
We got back just in time for a performance of Chhau dance arranged within the palace for the guests. Chhau is a folk dance form practised in Mayurbhanj and contagious districts of Saraikela in Jharkhand and Purulia in West Bengal. The Mayurbhanj Chhau, unlike the form practised elsewhere, doesn’t use elaborate masks. A brief solo performance on incidents from the life of Lord Shiva, accompanied by traditional musical instruments, gave us a flavour of the dance form.
The rest of the evening was spent exploring the palace. The palace and every artefact within it, whether for utility or embellishment, oozes class and is a testament to the fine taste and considerable fortunes of the ruling family. The property is full of Insta-worthy spots. Virtually every corner implores you to pick a magazine and just plonk down on one of the elegant chairs or sofas. I did just that.
Dinner was a simple but delicious affair. Seated at the head of the table in the magnificent dining hall, for a fleeting moment I felt like an omnipotent monarch myself. We retired early after dinner, for the next day was to begin before the crack of dawn.
On the second day, we visited the Similipal Tiger Reserve. The forest had been closed to visitors ever since the first outbreak of Covid and had only reopened a couple of days back after 18 months. When it comes to forest safaris, my maxim is to go with zero expectations of any animal sightings and treat every sighting as an unexpected bonus. It was just as well because we entered the forest at 7 am, spent almost 12 hours inside the forest sighting practically no wildlife.
But driving around the forest amidst the dense foliage with a sense of anticipation is an experience in itself. There are two very picturesque waterfalls – Barehipani and Joranda – inside the forest. Lunch was had in a canteen inside the forest run by a women SHG which had bid for and obtained the tender to the canteen from the forest department. The food was simple but delicious and once again, it was the enterprising spirit of the tribal women running the place that won us over.
Another interesting experience was tasting Patua – a local delicacy – chicken marinated with spices and wrapped in sal leaves. It is cooked over a charcoal fire on gauze. The flavours of the fresh sal leaves seep in and combine with the smokiness to give Patua its unique taste.
On our way back, we did something I have wanted to do for a long time. We stopped our car in the middle of the jungle and turned the lights off. It was almost 7 pm and pitch dark outside. Rarely do city dwellers like me get to witness such clear starlit skies. Breathing in the crisp, fresh winter air in total silence and pitch darkness in the middle of the forest was a deeply gratifying experience.
Practical info: The entry fee to the park is Rs 100 per person. Unlike other national parks, there are no organised safaris. SUVs can be rented from the city and permits are issued every morning to a limited number of vehicles on a first-come-first-served basis at the designated entry gates. Guides are also allocated at the time of entry Boleros charge Rs 5000 for the full trip to and from Baripada and Innovas charge Rs 6000. Adventurous travellers can also choose to drive themselves.
Again, after a long, exhausting day, we retired early.
The next morning I had to wake up to the unpleasant realisation that it was the day of our return.
I made use of the morning in spotting some of the avian visitors to the property. There are common birds like doves and parakeets and less common ones like barbets and thrushes. This was followed by breakfast.
The one area where the otherwise immaculate property has some room for improvement is in the culinary department. The choices are limited and despite the setting, seem overpriced for what is essentially simple food. Odia food has a very rich legacy and is replete with hidden gems. This felt like a missed opportunity on part of the palace to showcase some of them at reasonable prices.
An excellent alternative to having in is Brewbakes cafe, just about a km from the palace. They have an extensive menu, delicious food, efficient service and very reasonable prices. It was a delight finding a restaurant this good in a relatively small town.
But I digress. After breakfast, we got a detailed tour of the property. The tour put the myriad portraits, artefacts and architecture of the palace in context. It was illuminating to learn about the rich history of the benevolent royals and their generous contributions to the common good of the area. The goodwill earned over generations means that the erstwhile royal family, now devoid of their titles, continues to be very highly regarded by the locals.
And with that, it was a wrap on our time at the palace. With a heavy heart, we bid goodbye to the royal comforts and warm hospitality of the Belgadia Palace.
On our way back we stopped at a village called Kuliana, which we had come to know, is home to traditional Dokra artists.
This pitstop turned out to be the highlight of our trip. We landed up at the doorstep of Sri. Yudhushtir Rana, a very decorated Dokra artist. The septuagenarian craftsman was delighted to have visitors who had come in search and showed off his craft with childlike enthusiasm.
First, elaborate statuettes are made using beeswax. The figurines are then covered in clay with an opening on top. Once the clay has dried, it acts as a mould. Molten metal is then poured into the mould. It dissolves the wax inside and the metal takes its place, in effect forming the figurine. It is then allowed to cool and the clay mould is cracked open, revealing the metal statuettes that are then polished and sold. The motifs are mostly religious or scenes from tribal life.
The artisan’s guileless enthusiasm and sheer pride in his craft gave us hope that as long as ambassadors like him are around, our millennia-old crafts are in safe hands.
The long drive back gave me ample time to reflect on the many highlights of this short but rewarding trip. Odisha tourism pitches the state as the best-kept secret of India. I couldn’t agree more.
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I’m very glad to see such great information being shared freely out there.
I haven¦t checked in here for a while because I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are great quality so I guess I¦ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
I’d have to examine with you here. Which is not one thing I usually do! I take pleasure in reading a post that may make folks think. Additionally, thanks for permitting me to comment!
Hey There I discovered your weblog the use of msn This is a very neatly written articleI’ll make sure to bookmark it and come back to learn extra of your useful infoThanks for the post I’ll definitely return
Utterly composed content, appreciate it for entropy.
vermox canada price
Spot on with this write-up, I really suppose this website wants far more consideration. I’ll probably be once more to learn way more, thanks for that info.
obviously like your web site but you need to check the spelling on several of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling problems and I in finding it very bothersome to tell the reality on the other hand I?¦ll definitely come back again.
There are definitely a number of particulars like that to take into consideration. That is a nice point to bring up. I offer the thoughts above as basic inspiration however clearly there are questions just like the one you carry up where an important factor will be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if finest practices have emerged around things like that, but I am certain that your job is clearly recognized as a fair game. Both boys and girls really feel the impression of only a second’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
Impressive posts! My blog Seoranko about Search Engine Optimization also has a lot of exclusive content I created myself, I am sure you won’t leave empty-handed if you drop by my page.
Hey, if you are looking for more resources, check out my website Webemail24 as I cover topics about Data Mining. By the way, you have impressive design and layout, plus interesting content, you deserve a high five!
Yay google is my queen aided me to find this great site! .
Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your site is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a great web site.
I believe other website proprietors should take this web site as an example , very clean and fantastic user pleasant style and design.
What Is LeanBiome?LeanBiome is a natural weight loss supplement that reverses bacterial imbalance in your gut microbiome with the help of nine science-backed lean bacteria species with Greenselect Phytosome, a caffeine-free green tea extract crafted with patented
What Is Wealth Signal? the Wealth Signal isn’t just a financial tool; it’s a new way of thinking about and achieving wealth. Unlike traditional methods that focus on external strategies, Wealth Signal emphasizes changing your internal mindset.
I’m really loving the theme/design of your
blog. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems?
A small number of my blog visitors have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks
great in Firefox. Do you have any recommendations to help
fix this issue?
I like this blog very much, Its a very nice position to read and obtain information.
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
Hello, you used to write fantastic, but the last few posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your super writings. Past few posts are just a bit out of track! come on!
My brother recommended I might like this blog. He was entirely right. This post actually made my day. You cann’t imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
wonderful put up, very informative. I’m wondering why the opposite experts of this sector do not understand this. You must continue your writing. I’m sure, you have a huge readers’ base already!
I definitely wanted to compose a brief note so as to thank you for those splendid suggestions you are posting on this website. My prolonged internet search has finally been rewarded with excellent knowledge to exchange with my relatives. I ‘d tell you that many of us readers actually are definitely blessed to live in a magnificent network with so many special individuals with interesting advice. I feel pretty lucky to have discovered your entire webpages and look forward to some more excellent minutes reading here. Thanks again for a lot of things.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your website in internet explorer, would test this… IE still is the market leader and a large portion of people will miss your excellent writing due to this problem.
I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
Very interesting subject, regards for putting up. “I am convinced that life in a physical body is meant to be an ecstatic experience.” by Shakti Gawain.
I reckon something truly special in this site.
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different web page and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to exploring your web page again.
What is Zen Cortex? ZenCortex is not just another drop in the ocean of dietary supplements; it’s a formulated concoction designed with a clear aim: to enhance auditory health and cognitive functions.
I am continuously looking online for posts that can assist me. Thanks!
I was very pleased to find this web-site.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.
Simply wanna remark on few general things, The website style is perfect, the subject matter is rattling excellent. “To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature.” by Franois Auguste Ren Rodin.
This web site can be a walk-through for all of the info you wanted about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and you’ll positively uncover it.
Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thank you for your provided information.
Whoa! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Superb choice of colors!
I enjoy the efforts you have put in this, thank you for all the great blog posts.
Whats up this is kind of of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
I have witnessed that rates for on-line degree professionals tend to be an awesome value. For example a full Bachelor’s Degree in Communication in the University of Phoenix Online consists of Sixty credits at $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online provides a Bachelors of Business Administration with a entire education course requirement of 180 units and a tuition fee of $30,560. Online degree learning has made getting the college diploma been so detailed more than before because you could earn your degree from the comfort in your home and when you finish from office. Thanks for other tips I have certainly learned through the web-site.
One thing I’ve noticed is the fact that there are plenty of misguided beliefs regarding the banking companies intentions if talking about home foreclosure. One fable in particular is always that the bank would like your house. The bank wants your hard earned cash, not your property. They want the cash they lent you together with interest. Staying away from the bank will still only draw some sort of foreclosed final result. Thanks for your posting.
What is Aizen Power? Aizen Power is an all-natural supplement to improve overall male health.
In accordance with my study, after a property foreclosure home is marketed at an auction, it is common to the borrower in order to still have some sort ofthat remaining balance on the bank loan. There are many loan companies who attempt to have all expenses and liens paid off by the up coming buyer. On the other hand, depending on specified programs, laws, and state laws there may be some loans that aren’t easily resolved through the transfer of personal loans. Therefore, the duty still falls on the client that has got his or her property foreclosed on. Many thanks sharing your ideas on this weblog.
Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was searching for!
I wanted to write you this tiny word just to thank you so much yet again for the pleasing information you’ve discussed on this site. It was quite seriously generous of you to deliver unhampered all a lot of folks would have supplied as an e-book in order to make some profit for themselves, mostly seeing that you could possibly have done it in case you decided. These pointers in addition worked as a good way to comprehend many people have the identical keenness much like my very own to learn more and more on the subject of this condition. I am certain there are a lot more fun moments in the future for those who looked at your site.
Thank you so much for providing individuals with an extremely superb chance to discover important secrets from this web site. It is usually very beneficial and jam-packed with a good time for me and my office friends to visit your blog the equivalent of three times a week to read the latest items you have got. And definitely, I’m also at all times impressed with the gorgeous information you serve. Selected two ideas on this page are undeniably the most beneficial we’ve had.
I am genuinely amazed by the profound understanding and stellar ability to convey information. The knowledge you share is evident in each paragraph. It’s evident that you spend considerable time into researching your topics, and that effort pays off. Thank you for sharing such detailed information. Continue the excellent job! https://www.elevenviral.com
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the pictures on this blog loading? I’m trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you reduce it, any plugin or anything you can recommend? I get so much lately it’s driving me mad so any assistance is very much appreciated.
k8 カジノ 絵師
この記事を読んで、たくさんの新しいことを学びました。
10mg baclofen tablet price
Keep functioning ,fantastic job!
I am genuinely amazed by the keen analysis and excellent writing style. Your depth of knowledge clearly stands out in every sentence. It’s clear that you invest a great deal of effort into researching your topics, and that effort is well-appreciated. We appreciate your efforts in sharing this valuable knowledge. Keep up the great work! https://www.elevenviral.com
Awsome article and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is really the best place to ask but do you guys have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks 🙂
Good write-up, I am normal visitor of one¦s website, maintain up the excellent operate, and It’s going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
I have noticed that in old digital cameras, extraordinary sensors help to concentrate automatically. Those sensors involving some digital cameras change in contrast, while others start using a beam associated with infra-red (IR) light, particularly in low light. Higher standards cameras sometimes use a combination of both methods and likely have Face Priority AF where the digital camera can ‘See’ a face as you concentrate only in that. Thank you for sharing your opinions on this site.
I was reading some of your content on this website and I conceive this website is very informative! Continue putting up.
I simply could not go away your website before suggesting that I really enjoyed the standard info an individual provide for your visitors? Is gonna be again incessantly to inspect new posts.
I am genuinely amazed by your profound understanding and superb writing style. Your depth of knowledge clearly stands out in each paragraph. It’s obvious that you spend considerable time into understanding your topics, and that effort is well-appreciated. We appreciate your efforts in sharing such valuable insights. Keep up the great work! https://www.elevenviral.com
Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your website is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you¦ve on this blog. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched all over the place and simply couldn’t come across. What a great web-site.
Thanks for this informative blog. It was very enlightening and offered valuable knowledge. If you’re keen on the world of viral real estate SEO, don’t hesitate to visit https://www.elevenviral.com to learn more.
I wish to point out my admiration for your generosity in support of individuals who actually need assistance with the content. Your very own commitment to getting the message along ended up being exceptionally advantageous and have usually helped others just like me to reach their ambitions. Your new valuable publication denotes a whole lot a person like me and especially to my peers. Thank you; from each one of us.
wonderful post, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m sure, you’ve a huge readers’ base already!
I’ve really noticed that repairing credit activity should be conducted with tactics. If not, you will probably find yourself endangering your rating. In order to succeed in fixing your credit rating you have to verify that from this second you pay your monthly fees promptly prior to their slated date. It’s really significant on the grounds that by definitely not accomplishing this, all other activities that you will choose to use to improve your credit rating will not be efficient. Thanks for expressing your tips.
I will immediately seize your rss feed as I can not in finding your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly permit me recognise in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.
Many thanks for this informative blog. It’s been extremely informative , and delivered a lot of useful information. If you’re interested in how to boost your real estate business online, make sure to explore https://www.elevenviral.com for more information.
I like this post, enjoyed this one thank you for putting up. “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” by M. Kathleen Casey.
Having read this I thought it was very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this article together. I once again find myself spending way to much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worth it!
I like what you guys are usually up too. This kind of clever work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve included you guys to my own blogroll.
Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, and I’m shocked why this accident didn’t happened earlier! I bookmarked it.
I have been checking out a few of your posts and i must say clever stuff. I will definitely bookmark your blog.
Thanks for sharing your ideas. The first thing is that individuals have an alternative between national student loan along with a private education loan where it really is easier to go for student loan online debt consolidation than in the federal education loan.
very nice submit, i actually love this web site, keep on it
Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?
hey there and thank you for your information ?I have certainly picked up anything new from right here. I did however expertise some technical points using this site, as I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again very soon..
You made some good points there. I looked on the internet for the subject matter and found most persons will consent with your blog.
Hello.This article was really interesting, especially since I was browsing for thoughts on this issue last Friday.
What Is Sugar Defender? Sugar Defender Drops is a powerful friend for people who want to control their blood sugar levels
Its good as your other posts : D, appreciate it for posting. “Music is the soul of language.” by Max Heindel.
Generally I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite nice post.
wonderful post.Ne’er knew this, regards for letting me know.
I happen to be writing to let you be aware of what a brilliant experience my wife’s daughter undergone browsing your web page. She mastered plenty of things, most notably what it is like to possess a marvelous teaching character to make the others effortlessly know precisely various problematic topics. You actually exceeded her expectations. Thanks for producing such interesting, healthy, informative and also fun tips on the topic to Ethel.
I’ve been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this blog. Thank you, I will try and check back more often. How frequently you update your website?
I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on some general things, The website style is wonderful, the articles is really great : D. Good job, cheers
Some truly nice stuff on this site, I enjoy it.
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog!
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks for putting up.
I really like your writing style, wonderful information, regards for putting up :D. “He wrapped himself in quotations- as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors.” by Rudyard Kipling.
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently. I’m quite certain I’ll learn lots of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
eirenicon xyandanxvurulmus.W3ird6wYZWHh
crotonbugs xyandanxvurulmus.PledG6i8Bwv2
xbunedirloooo.nUYPoFJX2mmL
xyandanxvurulmus.jU2riFN7wFRQ
yandanxvurulmus.288pm26p0EQX
Hey there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to look it over. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Great blog and great design.
Happy everyday！