Hanwant Mahal

Hanwant Mahal sits up on Umaid Bhawan Hill. We are right across from Lalji Handicraft on Circuit House Road. Living and working in Jodhpur means you get used to the heat and the dust. This spot has a good view since we are up higher than the rest of the city. It’s a big building, and keeping it clean is a full-time job. We spend a lot of time just walking from one end to the other. People come up here because it’s a bit away from the main city noise. We don't do a lot of fancy talking about the place. It’s just a large space where we host people. Sometimes it’s for a quick visit, other times it’s for longer. The stone walls keep it a bit cooler, which is nice in the summer. We are always fixing something or painting a wall. That’s the reality of an older place like this. We see a lot of tourists because of the location, but we have local friends who stop by too. The road outside can get a bit steep for some. We just focus on the daily tasks like making sure the gates are open and the floors are mopped. It’s not a corporate operation. It’s just a few of us making sure the place stays standing and looks decent for whoever walks in the door today. It is a lot of effort but we enjoy the view from the hill.