The Royal family of Balrampur traces its ancestry to the great Pandava warrior and the hero of the Mahabharata, Arjuna.
While the erstwhile principality of Balrampur itself lies in the great Indian plains, the Maharajas of Balrampur began the practice of moving court upwards to the cooler chimes of the Kumaon Himalayas in Nainital during the blistering summer month of April, May and June.

The Balrampur House in Nainital has been the summer palace of the Maharaja of Balrampur since 1880. Built in the style of a French chateau, it was earlier known as the Ivy Park Palace. It was only recently that it was converted into a luxury palace hotel – since then the Balrampur House has taken a place of pride amongst the hotels in Nainital and is the hotel of choice now for the most discerning of guests.