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HERITAGE PALACE · ROYAL GUJARAT · HISTORYKusum Vilas Palace
A forgotten princely estate in the tribal hills — Kusum Vilas Palace, the former royal residence of the Chhota Udaipur state, stands in quiet heritage as one of eastern Gujarat's most understated royal buildings.
The palace of the Chhota Udaipur state
Kusum Vilas Palace is the principal royal residence of the former princely state of Chhota Udaipur — a small, independently governed state that was part of the Western India States Agency during the colonial period before its accession to independent India in 1948.
Reaching the town is straightforward — Chhota Udaipur sits at the end of the rail branch and highway from Vadodara, about two hours away, and the palace stands within the town itself, an easy first stop on any district visit.
October to March suits the town best, with the Kawant fair in March the district’s cultural high point; the palace facade photographs best in the low morning light, before the day’s haze settles over the hills.
Kusum Vilas is the principal palace of the Chhota Udaipur line — an Indo-Saracenic composition of domes, towers and deep verandas, built for a court that governed one of eastern Gujarat’s small Adivasi states. The family retains it, so viewing is generally from the grounds and approach unless arrangements say otherwise; check locally on arrival rather than assuming interior access.
The palace reads best inside the town’s wider circuit: Prem Bhavan nearby, the Adivasi Museum, and the Rathwa countryside whose Pithora painting and haats give the little capital its real setting.
The palace, named Kusum Vilas, represents the hybrid architectural sensibility common to many small Gujarat princely states: a synthesis of Indo-Saracenic elements, Rajput tradition and colonial-era building practice, creating a distinctive compound that reflects both a regional princely identity and the era in which it was built.
The Chhota Udaipur state itself was notable for its Rathwa Adivasi population and the integration of tribal culture within the princely administration. The palace sits within the town of Chhota Udaipur, surrounded by the forested hills of eastern Gujarat. (Currently maintained as heritage property; check access conditions on arrival.)
The Chhota Udaipur state, and the house it kept
Kusum Vilas Palace.
The Chhota Udaipur princely state takes shape, a small independently governed state in eastern Gujarat.
The state becomes part of the Western India States Agency during the colonial era.
Chhota Udaipur accedes to independent India, ending its status as a princely state.
The palace is preserved and maintained today as royal heritage property.
Reasons to make the time
Royal heritage
A princely estate.
Forest setting
Eastern Gujarat hills.
Architecture
Hybrid royal style.
Town context
Within Chhota Udaipur.
History
A small state story.
Tribal ties
Rathwa royal connections.
What to look for inside
PALACEKusum Vilas
The royal facade.
COURTYARDPalace grounds
Heritage compound.
How to spend an hour or two
Walk the palace exterior
View the heritage facade from the approach and grounds.
Note the architectural mix
Read the Indo-Saracenic detail in its towers and arches.
Learn about the royal family
Take it as a small state's story told in one building.
Visit the town around
Set it in context with the town's markets and museum.
Ask about access
Check on arrival.
Link to Pithora tradition
Rathwa art connects here.
A princely state palace in the tribal hills
Kusum Vilas represents the Indo-Saracenic architectural synthesis common to small Gujarat princely states — a blending of Rajput, Islamic and colonial European elements that was standard royal building language across late-19th and early-20th century India. (Check current access conditions at the palace gate; heritage management applies.)
The rest of the district is covered in our Chhota Udaipur travel guide.
For more in the same vein, see museums and palaces in Gujarat.
Former royal residence of Chhota Udaipur princely state
Indo-Saracenic architectural synthesis
Rathwa Adivasi connections in the royal history
Eastern Gujarat forested hills setting
When to go
Cool & clear — ideal.
Lush & lively; roads may flood.
Hot; early mornings best.
⏰ October to February is ideal for Chhota Udaipur.
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara airport (~100 km).
By Rail
Bodeli / Chhota Udaipur station.
By Road
NH-56 from Vadodara.
Know before you go
More to see close by
Chhota Udaipur Town Temples
Old shrines of Chhota Udaipur
Forest Deity Shrines
Sacred groves of the Rathwa people
RIVERNarmada Backwaters
Calm reaches near Sardar Sarovar
HERITAGEPrem Bhavan Palace
A graceful old royal palace
HILLKoraj Hill Viewpoint
A forested viewpoint over the hills
Narmada Ghats
Riverside worship near the backwaters
Where to eat near Kusum Vilas Palace
THALIGujarati Thali
Comfort home cooking.
TRIBALRathwa food
Forest produce & millet.
BAJRABajra roti
Tribal staple.
HONEYForest honey
From Adivasi villages.
A tribal-region cuisine
Expect simple Gujarati thalis, millet rotis and forest produce from the surrounding Adivasi villages.
Kusum Vilas Palace FAQ
What is Kusum Vilas?
The palace of the Chhota Udaipur princely state.
Is it open to visit?
Check on arrival — access varies.
What to see?
The palace facade and compound.
Architectural style?
Indo-Saracenic hybrid.
History?
A small pre-1948 princely state.
Best base?
Chhota Udaipur town.
Related places across Gujarat
PALACEBalaram Palace
A regal heritage retreat near Palanpur
RITUALNarmada Aarti
Evening river worship on the banks
LIGHT SHOWModhera Surya Kund
Dance & projections at the Sun Temple
SHAKTI PEETHMehsana City
One of Gujarat’s great goddess shrines
Mahemdavad Shrines
Old temples by the helical step-well
Narmada Ghats
Riverside worship near the backwaters
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026