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The sacred temple of Balram Mahadev is situated about 12 kms from in
Banaskantha district. The palaces of the Nawab and Hindu Temples are
also worth seeing. The palace is in a neo-Classical Baroque style,
with arcades and classical columns.
It has now been taken over by a private entrepreneur, and opened as
a resort. The huge gardens, their contours clearly defined, have
been landscaped to blend exotic plants, bridges and ramps for easy
access into the original Nawabi design.
The entrance pathway is lit by lampposts resembling parabadis, the
traditional bird feeding posts of Gujarat. The place has been
painted in a gracious creamy tone, and glass has been added to
protect the interiors from dust. |
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Interiors have been newly appointed, as the original furniture
was stolen, with modern handcrafted pieces, and western style bathrooms,
televisions, telephones and refrigerators have been added to the rooms
for the modern traveller.
A feature of the property is the swimming pool, fed by a natural rock
spring, half-way up the bluff, on which the palace sits facing the river
Balaram, with the overflow dripping into the river below. The new owners
have created an artificial cascade from the rock spring to the pool to
replace the previous trickle. An old wall has been extended to house a
modern gymnasium.
The cellars of the palace, with brick lined arches, once contained
the finest of wines, but are now an indoor games centre for children.
The forests that once provided the family and their guests with game are
now a sanctuary for bear, panther and other wildlife.
Getting There
Palanpur being the headquarters
of Banaskantha district is well-connected by road and rail. Palanpur has its
own Railway Station named as Palanpur Railway Junction which is connected to
the major cities of India.
Deesa Airport
is the nearest airport to Palanpur, it is located 29 km away from
Palanpur. There is no scheduled commercial operations in this
Airport at the moment. The nearest International Airport to Palanpur
is Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad (140 km), roughly two and
half hour drive from the city. Cabs and private cars are easily
available at the airport.
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