The monarch’s rule was abolished in India long ago but the legacies persist as the descendants of the kings and queens take forward the royal lineage moulding it to fit the contemporary setting. The modern-day successor of the Bhanja dynasty is Princess Akshita of Mayurbhanj. The traces of her ancestry go back to her grandmother, the daughter of the late King Tribhuvan of Nepal, and the royal family of Mayurbhanj. The Bhanj Dynasty traces its lineage to 697AD and have ruled in unbroken succession for 1000 years.
The modern princess Akshita and her sister Mrinalika Bhanja Deo reside in the opulent Belgadia Palace, Odisha owned by their father, the 47th ruler of the Bhanja dynasty HH Maharaja Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo, and his wife HH Maharani Rashmi Rajya Laxmi of Mayurbhanj.
The princesses have transformed their palatial ancestral mansion, The Belgadia Palace, a 200-year-old property into a modern boutique hotel. One of the three states that made up the Bengal States Agency, Mayurbhanj State was one of the princely states of India and one of the bigger states in the Eastern States Agency. Up to their merger with the Indian Union in January 1949, the Bhanjas controlled the formerly independent state for more than a millennium through royal succession.
The Princesses of Bhanja dynasty
HH Maharajah Praveen Chandra Bhanj Deo, the 47th monarch of the Bhanja dynasty, and his wife HH Maharani Rashmi Rajya Laxmi of Mayurbhanj, a member of the Jaisalmer royal line, are the current inhabitants of the palace. The two royal princesses, Mrinalika and Akshita, are social entrepreneurs and Directors of The Belgadia Palace and its philanthropic arm, The Mayurbhanj Foundation. The oldest princess, Rajyashree, is married into the royal family of Jhabua, MP.
Mrinalika Bhanja Deo is the current Director of the Belgadia Palace. A certified yoga teacher and yogini who is also quite active in conducting sessions and retreats around the world. As per Your Story, she completed her graduation from the University of Virginia with a degree in Sociology and International Relations with a certification from McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia.
Akshita Bhanj Deo was born to royal parents in Kolkata and graduated from New York’s Bard College with a degree in Political Science and Human Rights. In 2016, she came back to India and decided to shoulder responsibilities with her elder sister, in transforming their palatial ancestral mansion and took over as the Marketing and Communication Head. Akshita is Director of Experiences and Partnerships at The Belgadia Palace and Director the Mayurbhanj Foundation.
The Dowager Maharani Sumitra Devi Bhanj Deo gave the order to start building the Belgadia Palace in 1804. The palace was constructed gradually throughout the course of her successors’ control, with elaborate architectural details being added. The current interiors were created on Sri Ram Chandra Bhanj Deo’s, also known as “The Philosopher King,” orders for his second wife Maharani Sucharu Devi, who was a descendant of Keshab Chandra Sen, who founded the Brahmo Samaj movement during the Bengal Renaissance.
The Belgadia Palace
It was designed as a residence for visiting foreign dignitaries who were guests of the Mayurbhanj royal family and was constructed in the 1800s in the Victorian architectural style with aspects of Georgian decor.
The Palace redefines the idea of a luxury hotel and is located 4-5 hours from the state capitals of Odisha, Bengal, and Jharkhand. It is a stunning piece of Kalinga heritage.
The Belgadia Palace, a restored tropical art deco retreat with contemporary design, brings to life its past as a haven for artists while being surrounded by the untamed natural beauty of the Odia region.
The palace itself is filled with works of art by well-known artists and is surrounded by 8th- and 14th-century buildings. A hidden gem, Mayurbhanj, and The Belgadia Palace have hosted a number of well-known people, including dignitaries from the Tagore family, Gyanendra Shah, J.N. Tata, Annie Beasant, and Keshab Chandra Sen, to name a few.
The TIME Magazine awarded the property the distinction of being the 100 Greatest Places in the world to travel to in 2023.
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