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Ghanerao, formerly known as Ganora, was founded in 1606 by Gopal Das Rathore, a brave Rajput warrior from the Mertia clan. It is a small town but located strategically at the entrance of one of the few passes in the Aravallis, that connects the two major cities, Jodhpur and Udaipur. This tiny village thus formed a link between the territories held by the two traditional strongholds of Rajasthan, Mewar and Marwar, and featured often in the history of both these two erstwhile princely states. In the mid 15th century when both clans met as equals, they determined the boundaries of their two kingdoms with a saying "Aonla aonla Mewar, Baoliya baoliya Marwar." Aonla is a shrub with bright yellow flowers that flourished in Mewar but was not spotted in Marwar. The baoliya, a robust thorny tree, on the other hand was common in Marwar but not found in Mewar. The Godwar region, of which Ghanerao forms a part, has plains covered with aonla.
The charming host and his son, Kr. Himmat Singh ,who runs the hotel on the day to day basis, and also organise treks to Kumbhalgarh Fort, which is about 14 kms. away by trek. Jeep excursions can also be arranged to the Kumbhalgarh Fort that is 49 kms. away by motorable road and to the Ranakpur Jain Temples, which are approximately at a distance of 20 kms. Ghanerao Royal Castle is a pleasant hotel where one can experience the unspoilt rural environment.
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In medieval times, when one's word was
sacrosanct, the boundary remained untouched but later, in the 18th
century, Godwar was annexed by Marwar. The Sisodias of Mewar appealed to
the British overlords to force the Marwar Rathores to return Godwar but
instead the political agent chose to redefine the boundaries with a more
solid demarcation, the Aravalli ranges, leaving Godwar with the Rathores
of Marwar. Mewar continued to demand Ghanerao back and kept Ghanerao's
seat in the Mewar courts, albeit unoccupied. As a result, the Ghanerao
rulers were the only Rajput royalty that had a hereditary seat among the
premier nobles of both Houses of Mewar and Marwar. 
Today, Thakur Sajjan Singh, a descendant of
the feudal lords of Ghanerao, talks proudly of this honour, explaining
that being Rathores, they owe allegiance to the Maharaja of Marwar but
cannot forget their ties with Mewar and how they fulfilled their duty by
protecting the fort of Kumbhalgarh. Situated just about 5 kms. from the'
gate of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, the small village of Ghanerao
is placed in a picturesque forested region. The town, has a number of red
sandstone havelis (houses with courtyards), with some old temples, baolis
(step wells) and marble chhatris (cenotaphs) scattered about. 
The old fort lies south of the town and is
marked with cannonball scars, a testimony to the wars that were fought
here. Standing watch over the town of Ghanerao is the Ghanerao Rawla
(castle), a red sandstone castle built in 1627 that served as the home of
the rulers. One has to negotiate a narrow, winding, side scraping road,
which leads through the depths of the village, to reach this beautiful
castle. The building is designed in the typical Rajput architectural
style,with beautifuly carved lattice friezes and marble jharokas. Rajput
miniature paintings, chandeliered rooms and ancient walls, there is a
nostalgic air of past glory and of the royal lifestyle that the Thakurs
led. 
The charming marble pavilion in a central
courtyard of the castle was where palace musicians used to perform. There
are faded miniature paintings on the walls and obsolete elephant stables
within the grounds. Some of the boundary walls are marked with cannon
balls and around the castle are the family cenotaphs of the former rulers,
warriors who gallantly upheld their clan. Thakur Sajjan Singh has opened
his rustic castle to paying guests, and today one can stay in one of the
pleasant 16 rooms of the Ghanerao Royal Castle, each different from the
other with balconies, verandhas and terraces. 