Skip to content
TasteYatra
TasteYatra

Your Official Food & Travel Guide

Rare surviving garden palace of the Kashi Naresh

Nadesar Palace

Also Known As · Taj Nadesar Palace; Nadesar Kothi; Benares Garden Palace

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh · monument

Genteel, hushed and green — a colonnaded colonial villa in fragrant orchards, worlds away from the crush of the ghats.

Open dailyEntry Fee: Free EntryNo public visiting hours — as a private heritage property the grounds are not open to non-resident sightseers; the palace exterior and adjacent Nadesar Devi shrine can be seen from the road at any time.

Tucked into forty acres of mango orchards, marigold beds and jasmine fields on the quiet Cantonment side of Varanasi, Nadesar Palace is one of the city's rarest survivals — a Benares royal residence built not in the temple-town idiom of the ghats but in the cool, colonnaded language of colonial neoclassicism. The whitewashed villa, with its deep porte-cochere at the front and a magnificent porticoed balcony overlooking the gardens at the rear, first rose in the late eighteenth century as an East India Company bungalow. In 1889 it passed to Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh of the Kashi royal house, and it has belonged to the family of the Kashi Naresh ever since. The palace takes its name from Nadesari Devi, whose small shrine stands just before the gates, and the estate's mango groves, polo lawns and marble pavilion recall a slower, ceremonial rhythm of Benares life.

Get Directions

Where to Eat Nearby

Nearby Vegetarian Eats

Kashi Chat Bhandar, Godowlia

5 km away
street food

Tamatar chaat and palak chaat

Ksheer Sagar, Sonarpura

5 km away
casual

Rabri, malai and Banarasi sweets

Keshari Restaurant, Godowlia

5 km away
casual

Pure-veg thali and paneer dishes

About

Tucked into forty acres of mango orchards, marigold beds and jasmine fields on the quiet Cantonment side of Varanasi, Nadesar Palace is one of the city's rarest survivals — a Benares royal residence built not in the temple-town idiom of the ghats but in the cool, colonnaded language of colonial neoclassicism.

  • The whitewashed villa, with its deep porte-cochere at the front and a magnificent porticoed balcony overlooking the gardens at the rear, first rose in the late eighteenth century as an East India Company bungalow.
  • In 1889 it passed to Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh of the Kashi royal house, and it has belonged to the family of the Kashi Naresh ever since.
  • The palace takes its name from Nadesari Devi, whose small shrine stands just before the gates, and the estate's mango groves, polo lawns and marble pavilion recall a slower, ceremonial rhythm of Benares life.
  • For a princely house so close to the Ganga, the palace's guest book reads like a roll-call of the last century's royalty.
  • Its most storied visit came in 1906, when the future King George V and Queen Mary — then Prince and Princess of Wales — lodged here during their tour of India; later guests are said to have included Queen Elizabeth II, the Dalai Lama and a succession of visiting heads of state.
  • Where the sprawling Ramnagar Fort across the river was the working seat of the Kashi Naresh, Nadesar was the intimate garden retreat, and its scale and restraint make it a quiet counterpoint to the drama of the riverfront.
  • Vegetarian travellers will feel entirely at home in this corner of Kashi, one of the great meat-light pilgrimage cities of India.
  • The immediate Nadesar–Cantonment neighbourhood is residential and calm, so the finest pure-vegetarian eating lies a short auto ride away in the old city: the legendary chaat counters of Kashi Chat Bhandar in Godowlia, the milky rabri and sweets of Ksheer Sagar in Sonarpura, and the classic thalis of Keshari Restaurant near Godowlia are all reliably vegetarian.
  • As everywhere in Varanasi, order lassi with care — several riverside stalls lace their thandai and lassi with bhang (cannabis), so simply ask for a plain sweet lassi and you will be served a wholesome, family-friendly drink.

A note for planners

Nadesar Palace today operates as a working heritage hotel run by the Taj group, so it is a private property rather than a ticketed monument — there are no public visiting hours, no entry tickets and no roaming of the grounds for non-residents. What travellers can still savour, free and unhurried, is the setting: the leafy Nadesar approach off Raja Bazar Road, the old villa glimpsed through its gates, the fragrant garden air, and a pause at the Nadesar Devi shrine at the entrance. It pairs naturally with a visit to Ramnagar Fort or the Cantonment's colonial streets.

Timings & Entry Fee

Visiting Hours

  • • Exterior and Nadesar Devi shrine: viewable from Raja Bazar Road at any time
  • • Palace grounds: private heritage property, closed to non-resident sightseers
Days OpenViewable from the road any day; the property itself is private with no public admission.Entry FeeFree EntryTime Needed20–30 minutes for the exterior, approach and shrine

Entry Fee: Nadesar Palace is a private heritage property (a working Taj-managed hotel), not a ticketed public monument, so there is no entry fee and no public admission. The exterior, the tree-lined Nadesar approach and the roadside Nadesar Devi shrine can be viewed free of charge from Raja Bazar Road.

Verified: July 2026

Location & How to Reach

Address

Nadesar Palace, Raja Bazar Road, Nadesar, Chaukaghat, Varanasi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221002

Near the Nadesar Devi shrine, off Raja Bazar Road, about 2 km from Varanasi Junction

📍 Get Directions🗺️ View on map

🚇 Nearest Metro: Varanasi has no metro. The nearest transport hub is Varanasi Junction (BSB) railway station, about 2 km away.

🚶 Walking from Metro: Not applicable — Varanasi has no metro. From Varanasi Junction it is roughly a 20–25 minute (2 km) walk along Raja Bazar Road, though an auto is easier in the heat.

Distance from

  • • Varanasi Junction (BSB) railway station: 2 km (~8 min)
  • • Dashashwamedh Ghat: 5 km (~25 min)
  • • Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (Babatpur): 22 km (~55 min)

Parking

street · Free to nominal

There is no public visitor car park; drivers use roadside space along Raja Bazar Road and the wider Cantonment lanes. Autos and e-rickshaws can drop and wait near the Nadesar approach.

🚕 Ride Hailing Tip: Ola and Uber operate in Varanasi; set your drop as 'Nadesar, Raja Bazar Road / Varanasi Cantt' as the palace is a landmark near Varanasi Junction. Metered autos are plentiful from the station and Godowlia.

How to Reach: Nadesar Palace sits in the Cantonment area just off Raja Bazar Road, about 2 km from Varanasi Junction (BSB) railway station — a 5–8 minute auto-rickshaw or e-rickshaw ride. Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur is roughly 21–24 km (about 45–60 minutes) to the north-west by prepaid taxi or app cab. From the Ganga ghats (Dashashwamedh) it is around 5 km; shared autos and cycle-rickshaws ply the Cantonment and Godowlia routes, and boats serve only the riverfront, not this inland Cantonment address.

Things to Do

  • View the neoclassical facade and porte-cochere from Raja Bazar Road
  • Visit the small roadside Nadesar Devi shrine that names the palace
  • Photograph the white villa through its garden gate in afternoon light
  • Stroll the quiet, tree-lined Cantonment lanes around Nadesar
  • Continue to Ramnagar Fort to complete the Kashi royal family story

Best Time to Visit

Best SeasonWinter (October–March)Best Time of DayLate afternoon for warm light on the white facadeTime Needed20–30 minutes for the exterior, approach and shrineCrowd LevelsVery low — a quiet residential Cantonment pocket with no tourist crowds, unlike the packed ghats.

History & Significance

History

Nadesar Palace began life in the late eighteenth century as an East India Company bungalow on the then-rural northern edge of Benares, built in the cool neoclassical bungalow style favoured by British officials rather than the ornate riverfront idiom of the temple city.

  • In 1889 it was acquired by Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh of the Kashi royal house and it has remained with the family of the Kashi Naresh ever since, serving as their garden retreat while the sprawling Ramnagar Fort across the Ganga remained the working seat of the dynasty.
  • In 1906 the future King George V and Queen Mary stayed here as Prince and Princess of Wales during their Indian tour, and over the following century the estate is said to have received a long line of royalty and dignitaries.
  • In the 2000s the Taj group took over its management and, after extensive restoration, reopened the villa as a small heritage hotel, preserving its colonial architecture and gardens.

🏛️ Architect: Built by the East India Company in the late 1700s in a restrained colonial-neoclassical bungalow style, with a prominent front porte-cochere, a porticoed rear balcony overlooking the gardens, and high-ceilinged rooms; no individual architect is recorded.

Significance

Nadesar Palace is a rare surviving royal residence of the Kashi Naresh in colonial style, a counterpoint to the temple-town architecture of the ghats.

  • As the intimate garden retreat of the Benares royal family — distinct from their ceremonial seat at Ramnagar Fort — and a documented host to visiting royalty from George V onward, it is an important thread in the story of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Benares and its princely house.

Places to Visit Nearby

Ramnagar Fort

14 km away

Riverside fort-palace and working seat of the Kashi Naresh, with a vintage museum

Dashashwamedh Ghat

5 km away

The grand riverfront ghat famed for its evening Ganga aarti

Sarnath

8 km away

Peaceful Buddhist site where the Buddha gave his first sermon

Family & Accessibility

Kid Friendly3of 5Stroller AccessPartialWheelchair AccessPartialChanging RoomNoPet PolicyNo

Family Highlights

  • • Green, calm setting away from crowded lanes
  • • Fragrant garden air with mango and jasmine
  • • A short, easy stop en route to Ramnagar Fort

Photography & Drone

Drone PolicyProhibited

💰 Equipment Fees: None for exterior photography from public roads; interiors and grounds are private and not open to non-resident photography.

📍 The Golden Spot: The main gate and porte-cochere framed by the tree-lined Nadesar approach

🌅 Best Light Time: Late afternoon golden hour on the white facade

Tips & Safety

⚠️ Common Scams

Bhang in lassi and thandai

Several riverside stalls in Varanasi add bhang (cannabis) to thandai and 'special' lassi, which can catch travellers off guard.

Official AdviceAsk explicitly for plain sweet lassi and avoid any 'special' or 'government bhang' drink; stick to established pure-veg sweet shops.

Auto over-charging from the station

Drivers at Varanasi Junction may quote inflated fares for the short 2 km hop to Nadesar.

Official AdviceAgree the fare before boarding or use a metered app cab; the ride should be short and inexpensive.

💡 Insider Tips

🌅 Secret View: Frame the whitewashed villa through the wrought-iron gate along the leafy Nadesar approach for a picture that feels a century old.

🎯 Crowd Hack: Because it is off the tourist trail in the Cantonment, you will almost always have the quiet Nadesar lane to yourself — best paired with an early Ramnagar Fort run before the ghats fill up.

💎 Secret Fact: The palace is named after Nadesari Devi, whose modest shrine stands just before the gates, and it hosted the future King George V and Queen Mary in 1906 during their tour of India.

⚡ Express Tour

A 20-minute stop: view the facade, glance into the gardens from the gate, and bow at the Nadesar Devi shrine.

🔭 Deep Dive Tour

Pair a slow half-day: Nadesar Palace exterior and shrine, then Ramnagar Fort across the river to follow the full arc of the Kashi royal family's history, ending at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening aarti.

🙏 Etiquette & Dress Code

Do's

  • Admire the neoclassical facade and porte-cochere from the gate and Raja Bazar Road
  • Pay a quiet visit to the roadside Nadesar Devi shrine that gives the palace its name
  • Combine the stop with Ramnagar Fort to trace the Kashi royal family's story
  • Photograph the white villa in soft late-afternoon light
  • Ask for plain sweet lassi at old-city stalls to avoid bhang-laced thandai

Don'ts

  • Do not expect to buy tickets or tour the grounds — it is a private heritage property, not a public monument
  • Do not enter or photograph inside the estate without being a resident guest
  • Do not attempt to reach it by boat — this is an inland Cantonment address, not a riverfront ghat
  • Do not litter or pluck flowers in the residential Nadesar lanes

👕 Dress Code: No formal code for viewing from outside; modest, comfortable clothing is appropriate near the Nadesar Devi shrine.

📷 Photography Rules: Photographing the facade and gardens from public roads is fine. The interiors and private grounds are not open to non-resident photography. Be respectful of residents and staff, and avoid photographing people at the shrine without consent.

Good to Know

💳 Money & Connectivity

UPIYesCardsPartialCashYes

🏧 Nearest ATM: ATMs are available near Varanasi Junction and along the Cantonment / Sigra roads, about 1–2 km away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can tourists go inside Nadesar Palace?

No. Nadesar Palace is a private heritage property (a working Taj-managed hotel), not a ticketed public monument, so the grounds and interiors are not open to non-resident sightseers. You can admire the facade, gardens and the Nadesar Devi shrine from Raja Bazar Road.

Is there an entry fee for Nadesar Palace?

There is no entry fee because there is no public admission. Viewing the exterior and the roadside shrine from the street is free.

How old is Nadesar Palace and who built it?

The villa was built by the East India Company in the late eighteenth century and was acquired by Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh of the Kashi royal house in 1889, remaining with the family ever since.

How do I reach Nadesar Palace from Varanasi Junction?

It is only about 2 km away, a 5–8 minute auto-rickshaw or e-rickshaw ride along Raja Bazar Road in the Cantonment area. Varanasi has no metro.

Where can I eat vegetarian food nearby?

The best pure-vegetarian eating is a short auto ride away in the old city — Kashi Chat Bhandar in Godowlia, Ksheer Sagar in Sonarpura and Keshari Restaurant near Godowlia. Ask for plain sweet lassi to avoid bhang-laced thandai.

What is the palace named after?

It is named after Nadesari Devi, a goddess whose small shrine stands just before the palace gates.

Categories

Heritage & CultureNature & Outdoors

Related

Ancient ArchitecturePhotography SpotPeacefulIconic LandmarkEducationalInsta-Worthy
#heritage-palace#kashi-royal-family#colonial-architecture#gardens#cantonment
Nadesar Palace, Varanasi — TasteYatra