The royal state of Rajasthan is full of hidden gems – historic, with rich heritage and many unexplored. If one looks beyond the likes of Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Jaipur, a tiny hamlet of Narlai near Ranakpur in Pali district makes a subtle but magnificent appearance. The village of Narlai holds many a hidden treasures that are fascinating for nature lovers, adventurers and history aficionados.
Tucked in between Jodhpur (140 km away) and Udaipur (120km away), in the foothills of the Aravalli, Narlai greets everyone with a laidback lifestyle, one that might not be as grand as its counterparts, but surely rich in history and heritage. The drive to Narlai is enchanting through a forested scape, luminous green during monsoon and takes one through narrow roads with a ‘traffic jam’ of herds in between. Narlai doesn’t have those attractive boutique cafes, the never-ending huge forts or a special shopping street. Then what’s so special, one may ask? This quaint town is built around a beautiful Rawla (a royal palace) that’s made up of many stories lost in the sandstorm of time.
History of Narlai
To give a little back story: Narlai was a village bestowed upon Maharaja Ajit Singh as a gift by his older brother, the then reigning monarch of Jodhpur. The Rawla – a palace usually used as a Hunting Manor by the Jodhpur royals dates back to the 17th century. The beautiful place forgotten during the freedom struggle was revived and brought back to its glory by Maharaja Ajit Singh’s son Swaroop, without changing its intrinsic beauty for which it was once known. While the enclosed premises house the ‘Rawla’, it is ‘Narlai’, the village & its people, which come together to form the entire experience.
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from
via Lonely Planet India
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