Home / Lifestyle / Varanasi: Oldest Palace, New Culinary Journey
Varanasi: Oldest Palace, New Culinary Journey
8 Feb
Summary
- Brij Rama Palace, a heritage hotel built in 1812, offers a unique stay.
- The palace features one of India's oldest functioning elevators from 1918.
- Aangan restaurant serves a ten-course vegetarian meal inspired by palace history.
Brij Rama Palace, a storied landmark on Varanasi's Darbhanga Ghat, invites guests to step into history. Built in 1812, this heritage hotel, meticulously restored over two decades, offers a unique glimpse into the past. Visitors can experience one of India's oldest elevators, installed in 1918, still operational today.
The palace's restaurant, Aangan, provides an immersive dining experience with a ten-course vegetarian menu. Each dish is thoughtfully crafted to represent the philosophies of the palace's original architect, its spiritual ruler, and its modern restorer. This culinary journey unfolds over two to two-and-a-half hours, accompanied by live sitar music.
Originally conceived as a fort-like structure, the palace's architecture blends Maratha and Greco-Roman influences. Its interiors feature hand-painted frescoes, gold-leaf ceilings, and intricate Thikri mirror work. Brij Rama Palace, now a 32-room boutique hotel, preserves the essence of Varanasi, a city described by Mark Twain as "older than history."
