Durag Niwas Guest House in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, was established by Kunwar Surendra Singh in 1990. It was his father Captain Thakur Durag Singh Rathore who had bought this piece of land in the 1960s from the former Maharaja of Jodhpur.
Captain Thakur Durag Singh Rathore's story is also an interesting one. In the Thar desert, there was a tradition that one son of the family would move out of the desert area to a city so that he could establish an earning outside of the desert area and help the family in tough times, such as drought.
Out of the 6 sons of the family it was Captain Thakur Durag Singh Rathore who chose to move out of the desert village Setrawa to Jodhpur so that he could support the family in times of drought. After that he bought this piece of land and established his family here. The house is built in traditional style around a central courtyard.
The house has balconies, jharokhas, jaalis, and archways that are typically found in Rajasthani Havelis. The walls are painted in light pastel colors. The central courtyard has small seating arrangements with traditional wooden benches and chairs and also a jhoola. There is also a small library with a good collection of books.
Our room was on the third floor (terrace) and it was clean but basic. It had a bedroom area with a comfortable bed and linen with traditional Rajasthani prints. There was also an alcove with a seat next to a window. Because there were a couple of lizards crawling around, we did not try opening the curtains to look at the view around.
The property was located in an area that was green and quiet and there was enough parking. This was a big blessing. Right next to the guest house is the Sambhali trust, which is a non-profit charitable organization established in 2007 by the hosts at Durag Niwas Guest House.
Sambhali Trust is a grassroots charitable NGO teaching and empowering women and children belonging to the underpriviledged communities of Western Rajasthan. The Head Quarter, Graduates' Sewing Studio, and Sambhali Boutique are located right next to the Durag Niwas Guest House and the guests staying at the guest house can check these out.
Overall, our stay at the property was comfortable. However, the rooms, as I mentioned earlier, are basic. It is also a little far from the city center, though if you have a car, it isn't too inconvenient. For us, since we had driven down to Jodhpur, we did not mind the distance. Overall, our sentiments toward the property are neutral. If we go to Jodhpur again, we will probably want to try some other property.
