AS OUR CAR ENTERS the tiny town of Dungarpur, two hours south of Udaipur, my wife and I have our reservations about the destination. This is a town few tourists have heard of. But we are in for a surprise. The place is spotless; we cannot see a single sign of trash as we drive through its busy roads to our destination, Udai Bilas Palace, a royal boutique property.
The royal family of Dungarpur traces its origins to the Guhilot Ahara Rajputs of Chittorgarh. Around 900 years ago, Maharawal Samant Singh, the elder son of Maharawal Kshem Singh, left the family to carve out his kingdom in the deep south of Rajasthan, in an area called Vagad. In the early 14 century, the seventh king of the ruling family, Maharawal Bhachund, realised that he needed his king of the royal line, Maharawal Mahipal Singh II.
