Jodhpur palace to become cultural centre

Rai-ka-bagh, the former royal palace of the Jodhpur family, is going to get a new lease of life. The late 19th century property, which belongs to Maharaja Gaj Singh, is undergoing conversion into a heritage hotel and destination spa.

Delhi-based Morphogenesis Architecture Studio has bagged the project to revive the palace to suit modern tourism's needs.

Manit Rastogi, founder-partner of Morphogenesis, said the challenge will not just be to restore the old pink sandstone palace to "its original glory", but also turn it into a "mixed-used property for contemporary use".

He's hoping the local populace can be as much part of the five-acre erstwhile home of the royals as the tourists thronging the city.

A banquet hall, a crafts bazaar, an outdoor museum, a sculpture garden and even a mall are expected to come up in the 1,00,000 sq feet, 50-room, octagon-shaped building.

While Rastogi did not reveal the development costs, he indicated that this would be on a par with the price of constructing any new building "" roughly Rs 1,500 per sq ft.

"Currently, most sections of the palace are in a dilapidated condition," he said. The renovation will be completed by the middle of 2006.

Rastogi, who runs Morphogenesis along with wife Sonali Rastogi, and Sanjay Bhardwaj, said that the intent will be to make Rai-ka-bagh "the central axis" between the two other famous city as well as royal landmarks "" the Mehrangarh Fort, which is open to public, and the Umaid Bhawan Palace, which is part-hotel, part-museum and part-private residence.

"Rai-ka-bagh will be a mix of both residential and public spaces and will locate the city's cultural centre," he said.

On the blueprint, however, the original designated areas are expected to remain intact and local materials such as chittar stone will be employed. The spa is expected to be built where the bathing area existed.

Zenana Deodi, the traditional women's quarters, will convert into a craft's bazaar, and the old dining hall will become the convention centre.

The company is also developing a township project for Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd in Siliguri, West Bengal.

In the past, the company executed the award-winning Apollo Tyres office in Gurgaon and has a mix portfolio of cineplexes, offices, shopping malls and homes.

"We are currently handling projects worth Rs 1,200 crore," said Rastogi.