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HERITAGE PALACE · ROYAL · CHHOTA UDAIPURPrem Bhavan Palace
The second royal residence — Prem Bhavan is an additional palace building of the Chhota Udaipur royal family, a smaller heritage property that complements the Kusum Vilas Palace in representing the architectural legacy of the princely state.
A royal heritage building in the tribal hills
Prem Bhavan is a secondary palace associated with the Chhota Udaipur royal family — a heritage building that, together with the Kusum Vilas Palace, represents the architectural legacy of the former Chhota Udaipur princely state.
The name ‘Prem Bhavan’ (house of love) is common among smaller royal residential buildings across Gujarat and Rajasthan — typically a more intimate residence used by the royal family for private or ceremonial purposes distinct from the larger durbar or reception palace.
For the heritage traveller, Prem Bhavan provides a secondary perspective on the built heritage of this small princely state — a state notable for its Rathwa Adivasi population, its forest setting in eastern Gujarat, and the Pithora mural tradition that the royal administration historically patronised and coexisted with. (Check current access conditions at the property.)
Prem Bhavan, Chhota Udaipur.
A second royal house in the tribal hills
Prem Bhavan.
Prem Bhavan was built as a secondary residence of the Chhota Udaipur royal family, alongside their principal seats.
It complemented Kusum Vilas, the main palace, in the compact princely capital of the small state.
Chhota Udaipur acceded to India in 1948 with the rest of the princely states, and the court era ended.
The building survives as preserved royal architecture in a town better known for its Adivasi culture.
Reasons to make the time
Royal heritage
It is a genuine princely residence, on a domestic rather than monumental scale.
Setting
The setting is the eastern hill country, where the plains meet the Adivasi uplands.
Architecture
The building's heritage facade repays a look even when the interior is closed.
History
The Chhota Udaipur rulers governed an overwhelmingly Adivasi state, and that relationship shaped the town.
Context
Seen together with Kusum Vilas, it shows how a small state housed its court.
Story
Chhota Udaipur was a small state, and its palaces are pleasingly human-scaled because of it.
What to look for inside
THE PALACEPrem Bhavan
A secondary royal residence with a heritage facade.
ROYAL CONTEXTChhota Udaipur
The compact capital of a small princely state, now an Adivasi district town.
How to spend an hour or two
Visit alongside Kusum Vilas
See Prem Bhavan and Kusum Vilas together; the pair make sense of the little capital's royal quarter.
Note the architecture
Look at the facade's heritage detail, which is the building's public face.
Learn about the royal family
Read it as the story of a small state — modest court, modest palaces, real history.
Ask about the Pithora connection
Note the tribal-royal connection; the state's rulers governed an overwhelmingly Adivasi population.
Check access
Check access on arrival — the building is private and viewing arrangements change.
Combine with Adivasi Museum
It is about a kilometre from the town centre, an easy add to any Chhota Udaipur walk.
Prem Bhavan.
A secondary palace in a tribal princely state
Prem Bhavan was the secondary residential palace of the Chhota Udaipur royal family — a more intimate building than the Kusum Vilas Palace, used for private residence rather than formal court functions.
See what else is nearby in our guide to Chhota Udaipur.
More of the same kind is gathered in museums and palaces in Gujarat.
Both buildings reflect the hybrid Indo-Saracenic architectural sensibility of this small tribal-frontier princely state. (Check access on arrival.)
Secondary royal residence of Chhota Udaipur state
Complement to Kusum Vilas Palace
Indo-Saracenic hybrid architecture
Eastern Gujarat tribal-state heritage context
When to go
October to March is ideal for Chhota Udaipur — cool, clear and the season of the district's fairs.
The monsoon greens the eastern hills but the district's roads can flood; check conditions locally.
April to June is hot; do the town early in the morning and the villages after.
⏰ October to March is ideal for Chhota Udaipur.
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara airport (~100 km).
By Rail
Bodeli / Chhota Udaipur.
By Road
NH-56 from Vadodara.
Know before you go
More to see close by
VILLAGESRathwa Hamlets
Living Adivasi communities
TOWNBodeli
A bustling market town of the belt
MUSEUMAdivasi Museum
Rathwa art, dress and ritual objects
FORESTNaswadi
Green tribal forest country
FORESTKoraj & Naswadi
Forested tribal hills rich in birdlife
2Kawant Holi Fair
One of Gujarat’s most colourful tribal gatherings
Where to eat near Prem Bhavan Palace
THALIGujarati Thali
Comfort home cooking.
TRIBALRathwa food
Forest produce & millet.
BAJRABajra roti
Tribal staple.
Forest honey
From Adivasi villages — a regional specialty around Chhota Udaipur.
Prem Bhavan Palace FAQ
What is Prem Bhavan?
A secondary palace of the Chhota Udaipur royal family, built alongside their principal residence Kusum Vilas in the state's small capital.
Is it open?
Access varies — the building is privately held and viewing arrangements change, so check on arrival rather than planning around an interior visit.
What to see?
The heritage building and its compound, best appreciated from the facade, and the sense of a small princely capital's royal quarter.
History?
The former Chhota Udaipur princely state, whose rulers governed an overwhelmingly Adivasi territory in Gujarat's eastern hills until accession in 1948.
Combined with?
Kusum Vilas palace and the Adivasi Museum in town, with the Pithora painting villages and Sankheda's lacquer workshops a short drive out.
Best base?
In Chhota Udaipur town, about a kilometre from the centre, in the district headquarters of Gujarat's easternmost hill country.
Related places across Gujarat
SIDHPURRudra Mahalaya
Ruins of a colossal Shiva temple in Sidhpur
AYURVEDAAyurveda University
A renowned centre of traditional healing
Dwarka Math (Sharada Peeth)
One of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas
SHRINEGumandev Hanuman
A popular roadside pilgrimage stop
FARMLANDGandevi
Sweet sugar-cane & chikoo country
SANCTUARYKrishnayan
A vast cow-conservation sanctuary
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026