Belgadia Palace opens for sustainable tourism in Odisha

Saturday, February 23, 2019

The doors of Belgadia Palace open for the tourists who love sustainability.

Established in 1804 the Belgadia Palace is a Victorian double-storeyed, brick structure that sits on a raised hill. It has been home to the erstwhile royal family of Mayurbhanj.

While Mrinalika is the full-time director of the Belgadia Palace and Akshita is the Marketing and Communication Head, the sisters also pursue full-time careers. Akshita is Lead Brand Strategist of Global Citizen India, a social advocacy platform based out of Gurgaon. Mrinalika is also a yogini and a certified yoga teacher who organises retreats in India and abroad.

The family involves and engages with the guests, and the girls also act as tour guides. “We want people to come and explore Mayurbhanj, its tribal people, the youth and learn about our heritage and culture,” they say.

The palace itself is a living museum for the past 200 years and has seen many important guests come and stay. It has also been a rehabilitation center for the allied soldiers during World War I and II. There are multiple such stories about the palace which the tourist gets to learn and hear about from the royal family in residence.

@Yourstory

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