If you want to get an experience of rural India, Pratap Niwas Palace is an attractive destination. The outskirts of Pratap Niwas Palace are full of Khejri trees and is home to blue bulls and chinkaras. Located adjacent to Pratap Niwas Palace, one finds the village of Jhalamand. Pratap Niwas Palace is located 10 km. away from Jodhpur and can be reached in 20 minutes from Jodhpur.

A person interested in wildlife and pottery, should definitely visit Singasni village, which is located near Jhalamand. The owner of Pratap Niwas Palace, is Mr. Pankaj Pratap Singh who is also an antique car collector. Taking a spin in his antique 1929 Chrysler, was a memorable experience, which he offers to regular guests at his luxurious palace hotel.

Around Singasni village, one can sight numerous local and migratory birds like domicile cranes, cattle egrets, cormorants and spoonbills. If one is fortunate, one is able to sight a chinkara and surely see blue bulls (neelgais) on the fringes of the forests that surround Singasni. There are many small lakes around Singasni which are watering holes for blue bulls (neelgais), chinkaras and blackbucks. It is the perfect place to experience the traditions and customs of village life. A day trip to Singasni pottery village from Pratap Niwas Palace takes you to a long bygone era, where life still goes on like the days of the past!

One is writing this from one’s pool facing room at Pratap Niwas Palace at Jhalamand in Rajasthan. Located only 10 km away from Jodhpur, this highly rated hotel will introduce one to a different world – the world of the potters of Rajasthan in a traditional village. Majestic Jhalamandgarh is the ancestral home of Pankaj Pratap Singh and is located adjacent to his hotel, which has been inspired by Bolangir Palace in Odisha. All modern amenities of a star hotel are provided for at Pratap Niwas Palace, yet you experience traditional Rajasthani hospitality in a tranquil setting. All rooms are tastefully decorated with pillars, and traditional Rajasthani beds. The dining hall is decorated with two bronze horses at the entrance and serves Chinese, Italian, Punjabi cuisine in addition to traditional Rajasthani dishes in a modern ambience, using local produce and spices. The endless lawns are filled with flowers and the sounds of sparrows and parrots. Enjoy an evening on the lawns with friends and marvel at the starry sky at night. The view from the terrace is picturesque.

A drive to the pottery village of Singasni, will bring you face to face with the sights and sounds of rural India – local craftspeople ply their trade, monitor lizards squeak, women in colourful traditional attire fetch water from the wells and lakes, children play in the street and everyone welcomes visitors with a friendly greeting. Escape the chaos of the cities and enjoy the tranquillity of an Indian village. Visit Pratap Niwas Palace to be truly with nature…

One starts one’s jeep safari in the morning, expecting to spot wildlife enroute to the pottery village at Singasani. There are many safari trails around Jhalamandgarh. Our jeep safari leads us to cobalt blue lakes, hidden caves and sandstone rock formations. These safaris range from 6 km. to 10km. and ends at Singasni village. Some of the wildlife found Singasni include blue bulls, chinkaras, blackbucks and several hundred species of local and migratory birds.

The khejri forests around Singasni are home to chinkaras and blackbucks but the best time to sight them are at dawn and at dusk. However, we did sight a few stray chinkaras during our jeep safari. Atleast two kilometres leading to Singasni is a mud road and the drive through this mud road will take you to many bajra fields, where chinkaras can be sighted. After a brief stopover at the lake, one continues one’s jeep safari to Singasni. Meditating on the banks of Singasni lake was a divine experience. Within minutes we can see white coloured clay pots which signals the arrival of Singasni pottery village.

Most houses at Singasni village make clay pots (matkas), which are transported and sold in Gujarat. Traders from Palanpur come to Singasni and buy the pots directly from the potters and transport and sell them all over Gujarat. The clay at Singasni village is very malleable and can be transformed into pots which are durable and can withstand transport over long distances.

To watch the raw clay being moulded into a pot, with deft use of hands and a potter’s wheel is an enlightening experience and reminds us of how God moulded humans from his own image. Watching the pot-making process can put you into a light trance… Within a few minutes, the potter converts the rotating clay into the shape of a pot and like magic the outlines of the pot become visible. For those interested in watching a video, please whatsapp +918460578357 and a video of the pot making will be whatsapped to your mobile.

After a clay pot is ready it is dried in sunlight for two days, before being baked to perfection in the oven. Pots get their characteristic red colour after the baking process. Pot-making is a seasonal business and during monsoons, potters turn to millet farming to supplement their income.

On the jeep safari from Jhalamand to Singasni, blue bull and blackbuck sightings are common. Singasni is just a 10 km. drive from Pratap Niwas Palace. The jeep safari to Singasni is ideal for spotting wildlife. Blackbucks and blue bulls can be easily spotted throughout the day. Spotted Hyenas can be sighted at night. The lake near Singasni is also a magnet for both migratory as well as local birds. Singasni is truly an oasis in the desert.

Early mornings and late evenings are memorable at Pratap Niwas Palace. One wakes up to the chirping of sparrows, hundreds of whom have made there home around the trees surrounding my picturesque resort. Here is a picture of a Brahminy Starling seen during my morning walk.

I could view birds throughout my stay at Pratap Niwas Palace. Purple Sunbirds, both male and female are commonly sighted. House Sparrows, Indian Robins, Rose-ringed Parakeets and Brahminy Starlings can also be sighted frequently. Migratory birds visit the lakes near Singasni village every winter. Birdwatchers will find Pratap Niwas Palace is a treasure trove of both common and exotic birds. As a birdwatcher and photographer I wholeheartedly recommend amateur birdwatchers to visit Jhalamand.

I must confess that the concentration of wildlife in the 10 km. radius of Pratap Niwas Palace is very high, if one is interested in gazelles, antelopes and birdwatching! Pratap Niwas Palace has a nice shallow pool, which can be used to cool off or get a tan, as one chooses. Amritara Resorts are doing a fine job of managing Pratap Niwas Palace Hotel. Rajasthani folk music and song recitals are organized every evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. by the team at Pratap Niwas Palace.

I came to Pratap Niwas Palace as a guest but left as a friend. The team at Pratap Niwas Palace is humble and full of energy. Each and every member of the team under the able leadership of Pankajbanna ensured that I had a wonderful stay at Pratap Niwas Palace. All my meals were perfectly vegan and fresh watermelon juice is provided to vegans. The aubergines cooked in Rajasthani masala was awesome.

Pankaj Pratap Singh is a collector of antique cars and jeeps and a few of these vintage beauties are pictured in the accompanying photograph. His collection includes an antique Buick and a 1929 make Chrysler among others.

How to get there?:

The nearest international airport to reach Pratap Niwas Palace is at New Delhi. There are several options for tourists to get to Pratap Niwas Palace from New Delhi via Jodhpur.

By flight:

The easiest way is by flight. Jodhpur is connected to Mumbai and New Delhi by direct flights. Pratap Niwas Palace offers pickup in chauffer driven cars from Jodhpur airport at extra cost. One can also drive down the 600 km. to New Delhi to Pratap Niwas Palace via Jodhpur or take an overnight bus.

By train:

The nearest Railway Station to reach Pratap Niwas Palace is at Jodhpur. There are several options for tourists to get to Pratap Niwas Palace from Jodhpur.

By road:

The easiest way to get to Pratap Niwas Palace from Jodhpur is by car. One can drive to Pratap Niwas Palace in 20 minutes as it is located 10 km. away. Pratap Niwas Palace offers pickup and drop from Jodhpur station in chauffer driven jeeps/cars for guests at extra cost on prior booking.

Where to stay at Jhalamand village?:

The only hotel to stay at Jhalamand village is Pratap Niwas Palace. Pratap Niwas Palace is a homely heritage hotel which offers a dream experience for both Indian and foreign tourists. The rooms are spacious and can comfortably accommodate three (with an extra bed). The bathrooms are luxurious, with excellent hot water showers. Soft lighting, central air-conditioning and period furniture complete the picture for a perfect holiday.

The Deluxe Rooms at Pratap Niwas Palace are priced at Rs. 7000/- plus GST (inclusive of breakfast for two guests). Lunch/Dinner costs Rs. 500/- per person plus GST per meal. The jeep safari to Singasni Pottery village costs Rs. 1500/- plus GST per head for the round trip (maximum 4 guests per jeep). Packed lunch can be provided on request. Pratap Niwas Palace offers an ideal luxury holiday experience for both Indian and foreign families in a palatial setting.

Weather in September:

The weather in September ranges from pleasant to warm, especially when there is no rain at night. For sonorous sleep at Pratap Niwas Palace spend ten minutes doing yoga nidra on the lawns at sunset. I slept at 9 p.m. and woke up at 6 a.m. If you want to see vibrant colours at sunset, visit Rajasthan in September.

Pratap Niwas Palace collects feedback forms from all guests after checkout and the feedback is mostly positive, as seen in the accompanying photograph.

Rooms are tastefully decorated with period furniture, while providing 21st century comfort. The kitchen presents the flavours of traditional Rajasthani cuisine in impeccable style using local produce and spices. The restaurant at Pratap Niwas Palace serves Rajasthani, Chinese, Punjabi and Italian cuisine. You can either eat at the restaurant, or in your room or outdoors in the lawn.

Pratap Niwas Palace also has an in-house shop selling handicrafts at pocket- friendly prices. Traditional Jaipuri dresses, Jodhpuri puppets and Kishangarh paintings vie with each other for space in the shop. I was happy to buy these dolls at the same price I would have paid at a streetside kiosk near the Clock Tower at Jodhpur. Everything at Pratap Niwas Palace including the rooms, cuisine and jeep safari offers true value for money.

Every good thing must come to an end and I bid my host Pankajbanna goodbye to drive down to Phool Mahal Palace, Kishangarh, which will be my home for the next three days. I was thrilled to be taken for a joy ride around Jhalamand with Pankajbanna in his 1929 make antique Chrysler, during my stay at Pratap Niwas Palace, Jhalamand.