The idea for running the palace as a boutique homestay was born out of the families interest in building sustainable communities and preserving the districts rich heritage and legacy. Mayurbhanj is Odisha’s largest district which is renowned for its art and architecture but it has very low development indicators which is a narrative the family hopes they can move the needle on through this initiative. The family renovated the home to be seen more as a platform than a property with social impact as its core ethos. The idea was to run The Belgadia Palace essentially as a startup whereby tourism is a vehicle of change to build a sustainable community which employs and skills local tribal people, houses and provides a platform for local community and small enterprises (whereby they get mentorship and potentially funding from travelers who stay and participate in artist residency programs), and finally invest in sustainable infrastructure to reduce the palace’s carbon footprint so the property is self reliant and can take care of the surrounding community.
