GONDAL PALACE

The 11-gun salute princely state of Gondal spanned an area of about 1000 sq miles comprising four towns and more
than 175 villages. The state was ruled by a dynasty of the Krishna-vanshi Jadeja Rajput clan from Thakur Shri Kumboji
in the 1600s. It was modernised by His Highness Thakore Shri Sagramji who ruled from 1851 to 1869 and became a
first-class princely state in 1887 after His Highness Maharaja Bhagwat Sinhji introduced wide-ranging economic and
social reforms. Under HH Bhagwat Sinhji, the state became distinguished for its number of educational and public
institutions, and for possessing infrastructure that did not exist even in larger princely states or in areas under direct
British rule. HH Bhagwat Sinhji made girl child education free and compulsory, abolished 40 dues including rates,
taxes, customs, octroi and export duties,started a travelling dispensary, an asylum for the maintenance of the poor
and a hospital, introduced wide roads, sanitary drainage and underground electricity supplies in Gondal town, and
built excellent road and irrigation networks across the state of Gondal connecting its villages and towns. HH Bhagwat
Sinhji is also considered one of the pioneers of the railway industry in Saurashtra.

After he passed away in 1944, HH Bhagwat Sinhji's son, HH Bhojrajji succeeded him.The present owner of the
heritage hotels of Gondal, JYOTENDRASINHJI VIKRAMSINHJI SAHIB, is the grandson of HH Bhojrajji.

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