Jehan Numa: Between Heritage & Wilderness

Few journeys in India move as seamlessly between culture and wilderness as that offered by Jehan Numa—a family-owned collection of four distinctive stays across Bhopal and the forests of Satpura Tiger Reserve. Each property reflects a careful balance between place and philosophy, rooted in heritage and shaped by its surroundings, linking the layered history of the city with the stillness of central India’s wilderness. 

Heritage Above The Lakes

In Bhopal, Jehan Numa Palace Hotel reflects the quiet elegance of a princely past, set amid lush gardens on the slopes of Shamla Hill. Its white façade and architectural mix of British Colonial, Italian Renaissance and Classical Greek styles sit comfortably within an Indian sensibility. Built by General Obaidullah Khan, son of Nawab Sultan Jehan Begum, the palace carries the legacy of Bhopal’s Begums, whose influence shaped the region’s cultural fabric. Its name—Jehan Numa, meaning “a view of the world”—speaks to both outlook and history 

Between Garden And Forest

Set on the outskirts of Bhopal, Jehan Numa Retreat offers a quieter, more contemporary counterpoint, shaped by design, nature and stillness. Spread across 12.5 acres, the property unfolds in rolling greens, with wild blossoms, kitchen gardens and a pool tucked within dense foliage. Its 28 rooms, housed in private cottages, favour a rustic, eco-conscious aesthetic, where simplicity and space take precedence, and the pace is unhurried.

Into The Wild Heart Of Satpura

A few hours from Bhopal, the landscape turns untamed. At Reni Pani Jungle Lodge and Bori Safari Lodge, experiences unfold within one of India’s most biodiverse regions, where Satpura shapes the rhythm of each day and starlit skies close the night. Across both destinations, Jehan Numa holds a consistent thread: keeping its properties closely tied to where they are set. In Bhopal, that shows up in its link to the city’s layered history and culture. In Satpura, it takes shape in a quieter presence within the forest and its conservation landscape. Each stay follows its own context, with hospitality shaped around what already exists rather than imposed upon it.

The Next Chapter

Looking ahead, the journey continues with a new Jehan Numa Retreat in the historic landscape of Mandu, set to open in early 2027. The project extends the group’s approach into one of central India’s most evocative heritage settings.

For the discerning traveller, it is less about a place to stay and more about an experience shaped by context, depth and a quieter sense of sophistication.

The Information 

Jehan Numa Palace Hotel

Address: 157, Shyamla Hills Rd, Shymala Hills, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462002 

Tariff: From INR 9,000 + Taxes to 40,000 + Taxes. 

Jehan Numa Retreat, Bhopal 

Address: Vanvihar Rd, Van Vihar National Park, Near, Prempura, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462003 

Tariff: From INR 13,000+ to INR 17,500+ depending on season and booking platform. 

Reni Pani Jungle Lodge

Address: Sohagpur, Raini Pani, Madhya Pradesh 461771 

Tariff: From INR 35,000++ depending on season and booking platform. 

Bori Safari Lodge 

Address: Dhapadamal, Shahpur, Dhapda Ryt, Madhya Pradesh 460440 

Tariff: From INR 35,000 + Taxes. Jehan Numa Retreat, Mandu Opening soon in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh