Women of the self help group making baskets with local Sabai grass We had heard about the Sabai craft practised in the region and this tiny, bucolic village is the best place to see it in practice.
The elegant and opulent suite rooms come highly recommended The short drive to Goaldihi passes through the forestĪfter a quick lunch, we headed for the village of Goaldihi, a half-hour drive from the palace. They are well worth the extra pocket pinch. Now, having stayed there, I would strongly recommend the suites. We were travelling as a family of six and had opted for one of each kind. They have a mix of regular rooms and suites. Upon arrival, we were greeted with fanfare and shown into our rooms. Most of it is along the national highway and even when you turn away from the highway near Jhargram, it continues to be well maintained and scenic. The road to Baripada from Kolkata is excellent throughout. What’s more, it’s a rather accessible 5-hr drive away from Kolkata.Īfter following them on the Gram and lusting over the place for a couple of months, we booked to spend the extended Diwali weekend there. It’s now been renovated, converted to a boutique hotel and thrown open to lesser mortals. Belgadia PalaceĪ quick search revealed that this was the erstwhile royal palace of the Bhanj Deo dynasty of Mayurbhanj. But no, it wasn’t Mimi’s unquestionably good looks that made me pause.
Sometime back, I was stopped in my tracks by a photo posted by the gorgeous Bengali actress Mimi Chakraborty. Finally, something good came out of the incessant scrolling on Instagram.