Balaram Palace

An interesting stopover between Ahmedabad and Mount Abu is the Balaram Palace, which is certainly one of the most exciting renovations in Gujarat. This was the former forest palace of the Lohani Nawab family, who ruled Jalore for nearly 14 generations from the late 14th century onwards. The palace was erected in the 1930s during the rule of Sir Talej Muhammad Khan, 20th Jalori Nawab of Palanpur, who also commissioned the Kirti Stambha (tower of victory), Zorawar City Palace and King George V Club in Palanpur.

The Balaram Palace has now been taken over by the Gopi Group, who have been in the catering line for several years, and been renovated to its former grandeur with a lavish Nawabi style garden, lawns for parties, swimming pool, indoor games, multi-gym health club, restaurant, conference hall, board meeting room and other deluxe facilities. The double bedrooms and suites have refrigerators, air-conditioning, intercoms and colour TVs. The palace is surrounded by forests, which extend into the Balaram Ambhaji and Jessore Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 13 acres of green hills are part of the private palace estate.