Rajmandir Palace at Maksudpur Garh

Set in the vast Indo-Gangetic plains of Bihar is the Maksudpur Garh. Once the seat of the Rajas of Maksudpur, the grounds of the estate are steeped in history, with palaces and temples from the pre -mughal to the colonial period. The guest rooms open out onto the Pakki Bagh, a walled in zenana garden. The rooms have been recently rebuilt with attached baths, and fitted with modern amenities. Home cooked meals are available at an extra cost ($15 per day), with seasonal ingredients from the home farms and organic dairy. Guests can wander about the sprawling estate and orchards, with its ancient temples, bathing ghats and ruined fortress. The Rajmandir Palace, built in a dutch-colonial style, has a central hall known as the Nautch Ghar and the Kalisthan with the family deity. There is regular puja at the Kalisthan. The road that leads up to Maksudpur terminates at the gates of the estate. Beyond are only unending fields, with the distant hills of Rajgir breaking the horizon. It is a region that has seen little of the effects of the modern age, and the days are slow, reminiscent of an earlier era. Gaya airport has seasonal international and domestic flights. There are numerous trains to Gaya, including several Rajdhanis. There is a regular bus service on the Gaya - Khizarsarai road. One needs to get off at the Nau Mile stop, from where there are shared autos to Maksudpur. Private taxis are available at prior request. Maksudpur is 18 kms from Gaya, 29 kms from Bodh Gaya and 120 kms from Patna. The Maksudpur Raj Trust runs a subsidized homeopathic dispensary (bi weekly) as well as a non-formal learning center for children at the Maksudpur Garh.