Mubarak Mandi to be developed as heritage hotel

Mubarak Mandi Heritage Palace Complex, the royal residence of erstwhile Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir, is set to be converted into a heritage hotel.

To begin with, Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society has proposed Zanana Mahal Complex of Mubarak Mandi to be developed into heritage hotel. In this connection, MMJHS has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) by 9^th August 2021 under PPP model on Design Develop-Finance-Build-Maintain and Operate basis.

It may be mentioned here that Zanana Mahal Complex, spread over an area of 9417.35 sqm, is located in the eastern part of Mubarak Mandi, and catches majestic view of the Tawi riverfront. The palaces here have unique architecture and exquisite interior decorations in the form of wall paintings, mirror work, decorative ceilings and exceptional spatial qualities.

The official document of EOI accessed by The News Now reads, “Mubarak Mandi Palace Complex, located in the heart of old walled city, is regarded as the crown of Jammu. It has enough beauty to mesmerize the domestic as well as foreign tourists. It is being proposed to be developed as a Tourism Destination with Socio-Cultural Heritage Centre by providing the tourist facilities. Out of the total 25 heritage buildings of the complex, 21 to 22 buildings shall house Dogra Art Museum, Craft Bazar, Convention Centre, Emporia, interpretation centre, Medical centre, library etc. whereas 3 to 4 residential palaces are proposed to be converted into Heritage Hotel.”

“Now, MMJHS, a registered society of J&K Government established for Restoration/Conservation of erstwhile Royal Dogra Palaces of Jammu, invites EOI for Development of Heritage Hotel under PPP Model on Design Develop-Finance-Build-Maintain and Operate basis. It proposes to create a world class category/business class Heritage Hotel with allied facilities, which would attract National/International users/clients,” the document states.

Some of the eligibility or selection criteria for interested entities notified in official document are – National/International chain engaged in Hotels, Hospitality Industry having minimum of 20 years experience in development/operation/Ownership of five star category hotels/ heritage hotels; Minimum average turnover of the company Rs. 35 Crore per annum during last 4 years; The company should have an experience in development and operation & maintenance of hospitality/tourism /sector projects with cumulative investment of more than Rs. 10 Crores; The company should have an experience of project undertaking and restoring and during last 10 years should have completed at least 5 heritage properties / hotels (government and or private) in India having a minimum of 15 rooms each; The company should have experience of managing / Operating at least 5 hotel properties in India, out of which at least 02 should be the heritage properties; The company should be profitable during last 03 years and must have positive Cash Flows for any 3 of the last 5 Financial Years in order to cover its part of contribution in the project; It is specially clarified here that the aforesaid criteria is the minimum eligibility criteria and additional qualification fillers may be introduced at RFP stage; All restoration/conservation work will be undertaken as per International standards and guidelines under the direction of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society and its consultant.

For the uninitiated, the Zanana Mahal Complex consists of residential palaces namely – Rani Bandrali Mahal (1166.46 sqm), Mahal of Raja Amar Singh’s Queens (2252.14 sqm), Rani Guleri Mahal (632.58 sqm), Rani Charaki Mahal (2844.55 sqm), Mahal of Raja Ram Singh’s Queens (2016.19 sqm), Nawa Mahal (505.43 sqm).

Heritage Hotels such as Laxmi Vilas Palace Heritage Hotel, Bharatpur, Taj Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, and Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, deliver first-hand experiences of royal legacy. They hold the niche tag intact and attract high-end tourists. The converting of a portion of Mubarak Mandi into heritage hotel will place this Palace Complex on the heritage hotel circuit of India. Though, it remains to be seen if this unique initiative of the government will bear the fruit in preserving the living heritage of Jammu region.

Also: Read my article at The News Now