Deo Bagh - A Luxury Heritage Hotel, Gwalior

History has it that in the late 1500 AD important Mughals camped in this char bagh with a stunning chhattis-dari (36-pillared pavilion) at its heart. This shielded the women in its underground chamber during the summer as it had a moat of water on all its four sides. Later, as the conquering Maratha army marched towards Delhi, the Jadhavs took possession of this natural water catchment area. Sardar Deorao Bhausaheb Jadhav and his son Sardar Krishnarao Deorao Jadhav used this 'bagh' as a summer house with the ladies section in Deo Bagh and the mens section in Jai Vihar, the family's current home. The garden complex houses the most exquisite family temples, a hathi khana for elephants, stables and cenotaphs. Important Gwalior State meetings, especially against the British - when the valiant Rani of Jhansi fought from the fort rampart close by, were held here during that time. After independence of India, this has been the home of Sardar Deorao Krishnarao Jadhav, his son Sardar Dhananjayrao Deorao Jadhav and his wife the Ranisaheba, since 1954 when they found their ancestral Lakshmi Vilas Rajwada surrounded by too much hustle and bustle. Deo Bagh opened its doors in early April 2012 with 15 rooms spread across 5 wings, facing a Nau Bagh, a garden chequered into nine parts. These have been named after the historical connections of the Jadhav family.