Maharaja Palace Gulmarg is Maharaja Hari Singh's timber summer palace, 15 rooms under green roofs. Its history, what you can see, the rebuilt Maharani Temple nearby, and how to fit it into a Gulmarg day.
Gulmarg beyond the gondola?
Send your dates. We plan a Gulmarg day with a local driver who knows the old meadow, not just the queue.
In This Article
- What is the Maharaja Palace in Gulmarg?
- Why is the palace so easy to miss?
- What can you actually see at the Maharaja Palace Gulmarg?
- The Maharani Temple next door: burned in 2024, rebuilt in 2025
- Palace, temple or church: which Gulmarg heritage stop suits you?
- How to fit the Maharaja Palace into a Gulmarg day
- Frequently asked questions
Quick Answer: Maharaja Palace Gulmarg is the single-storey timber summer palace of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. It has about 15 rooms around a central banquet hall, European-style turrets and green tin roofs. Most visitors head straight for the gondola and never see it, which is exactly why it is worth an hour.
Last updated: 6 November 2026. By Kashmir Pulse Editorial. Kashmir Pulse is Via Kashmir's editorial channel, written by locals.
Ask a Gulmarg pony walla about the Maharaja Palace Gulmarg and he will point you up the slope without a second thought. Ask the families queuing at the gondola base and most will not know it exists. The palace sits quietly among deodars, its brown timber walls and green roofs looking more like an old hill lodge than a royal house, and that modesty is part of its charm.
What is the Maharaja Palace in Gulmarg?
It is the summer residence that Maharaja Hari Singh, who ruled Jammu and Kashmir from 1925 until 1947, kept at Gulmarg. Local accounts describe it as a single-storey building of timber on a stone plinth, with turrets, a grand entrance portico and tall glazed windows that would look at home in an English hill station. A 2021 local report put its area at around 8,700 square feet; an earlier account gives 7,700, so treat the exact figure loosely.
Inside, those accounts describe about 15 rooms and a central banquet hall with panelled walls, bedrooms with their own fireplaces, and a stable at the lower level with old timber beams. The Maharaja's European guests were put up here during the Gulmarg season, when the meadow was a summer retreat for the court and for British officers from the plains.
Why is the palace so easy to miss?
Gulmarg today is organised around the gondola, the ski slopes and the golf course, and most day-trippers from Srinagar spend their few hours in that triangle. The palace has no big signboard, no ticket counter crowd and no snack stalls outside. Many drivers on fixed day-trip routes simply do not stop there unless you ask. In our experience, the travellers who find it are the ones who stay a night in Gulmarg and have a slow morning before the gondola opens.
Related reading: The Bund Srinagar: A Jhelum Riverfront Walk Most Visitors Miss
What can you actually see at the Maharaja Palace Gulmarg?
- ✓The exterior: timber plank walls, stone base, carved eaves and the green roofs you see in every photo. This is always visible.
- ✓The setting: tall deodars and the open slope, with the meadow below. In late autumn the light comes in low and gold through the trees.
- ✓The interior: a 2021 local report described rooms with period furniture and fireplaces open to visitors on a small entry fee, with one room kept locked. Access has varied over the years, so ask at the gate rather than planning around it.
Honest note: we have not confirmed current opening hours or fees for the interior in November 2026. If seeing the rooms matters to you, ask us before you go and we will check locally that week.
The Maharani Temple next door: burned in 2024, rebuilt in 2025
A short walk away stands the Maharani Temple, the small Shiva temple on a hillock linked to Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, Hari Singh's wife, and usually dated to around 1915. For decades it was Gulmarg's most photographed building, and Hindi film fans know it from the song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar.
On 5 June 2024 an electrical fire gutted the old wooden temple within minutes. The J&K Dharmarth Trust rebuilt it, and the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) of the reconstructed temple was held on 11 August 2025, according to the Daily Excelsior. In Gulmarg, the palace and the temple belong to the same story: one family's summer on the meadow, a century ago.
Related reading: Naseem Bagh Srinagar: Akbar's Chinar Garden on the Dal Lake Shore
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Palace, temple or church: which Gulmarg heritage stop suits you?
| Maharaja Palace | Maharani Temple | St Mary's Church | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built | Maharaja Hari Singh era | Around 1915; rebuilt 2024 to 2025 | 1902 |
| What you see | Timber palace, turrets, deodar setting | Small Shiva temple on a hillock with wide meadow views | Stone and timber Victorian church |
| Time needed | 30 to 60 minutes | 20 to 30 minutes | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Best for | History and photographs away from crowds | Views over the Gulmarg bowl | Quiet and architecture |
All three fit into one slow morning. Our St Mary's Church Gulmarg guide covers the church, and things to do in Gulmarg has the rest of the resort.
How to fit the Maharaja Palace into a Gulmarg day
- Leave Srinagar early. Gulmarg is about 50 km away, roughly two hours by road; the Srinagar to Gulmarg drive guide covers the stops.
- Tell your driver at the start that you want the Maharaja Palace and the Maharani Temple. Fixed-route day cabs skip them unless asked.
- Do the heritage stops first, between about 9 and 11 am, while the gondola queue is building.
- Take the gondola after 11, weather allowing. In November Phase 2 runs only when wind and visibility permit.
- If you can, stay the night. Gulmarg after the day-trippers leave, with smoke rising from the hotel chimneys, is a different place.
In November, the season between autumn and snow, Gulmarg is cold and quiet; our Gulmarg in November guide explains what to expect. Via Kashmir arranges Gulmarg stays at verified hotels, Srinagar nights on houseboats on Dal and Nigeen, local cabs with drivers who know the old meadow, and full Kashmir packages. Tell us your dates and we will plan the day around what you want to see.
Frequently asked questions
Who built the Maharaja Palace in Gulmarg?
Local accounts credit Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir (1925 to 1947), who used it as his summer residence. It was also used to host his European guests during the Gulmarg season.
Can you go inside the Maharaja Palace Gulmarg?
At times, yes. A 2021 local report described rooms open to visitors for a small entry fee. Access has changed over the years, so confirm locally on the day; the exterior and grounds are always worth seeing.
Is the Maharani Temple in Gulmarg open after the fire?
Yes. The old temple burned on 5 June 2024 and was rebuilt by the J&K Dharmarth Trust. The consecration of the reconstructed temple took place on 11 August 2025.
How much time do I need for the Maharaja Palace?
Plan 30 minutes to an hour for the palace and grounds. Add the Maharani Temple and St Mary's Church and the heritage loop takes a relaxed two hours.
Is Gulmarg worth visiting in November?
Yes, if you like quiet. November is cold, with snow on Apharwat and sometimes on the meadow, few crowds and clear light. Carry warm layers, and keep a spare morning in case the gondola's upper phase is closed by wind.
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