A shiver runs down the spine as you stand in the luxurious drawing room of Kumar Saheb Ranendra Pratap Singh Deo of Gaj Laxmi Rajbari of Dhenkanal. From an ornate glass showcase the fearsome stare of the Naranpatna man eating tiger bears down on you. Its piercing eyes and sharp rows of teeth was the stare of death to 83 people it had killed and eaten before being put down by Kumar Saheb.

 

That was in 1986 in the Koraput district of Odisha. After a quarter of a century, a strange twist of destiny has brought a man-eating tiger back! But this time it is on celluloid.

 

Sandip Ray and his film shooting unit set base at Kumar Shaheb's Gaj Laxmi Palace to shoot Satyajit Ray's Royal Bengal Rahasya.

 

Gajlaxmi Palace is an hour-and-a-half drive from Cuttack. This royal palace sits pretty on the Megha Hill, and overlooks a vast stretch of forest. So thick is the forest that to a casual eye it is impossible to locate the palace from the highway. The view from the palace is incredible. And it is teeming with wild life – birds, elephants, deer, civets, monkeys and wild boars, and the occasional leopard. Step out only with a trained forest guard. There are many jungle trails to explore.

 

If  you are a nature watcher or wildlife enthusiast, keen on birding, a nature photographer, enjoy trekking and jeep safari or simply love the outdoor greens, the Gajlaxmi Palace, Dhenkanal is the perfect holiday destination for you.