Inside Kangana Ranaut's Rs 30 Crore Manali House: A French Colonial Retreat in the Himalayas Which She Calls Kartikeya Niwas

Long before she became a Bollywood star or a Member of Parliament, Kangana Ranaut was a girl from Manali who dreamed of building a home in the mountains she grew up watching. That dream eventually turned into a sprawling Rs. 30 crore mansion in her hometown in Himachal Pradesh, one that has been photographed and written about, time and again.Also Read: The General Who Outwitted The British In 1857 And Vanished: What Became Of Tatya Tope?How The Manali Home Came To Be According to reports, Ranaut purchased the plot of land in Manali for around Rs 10 crore soon after the success of her 2014 film Queen. She then went on to spend roughly another Rs 20 crore turning it into a finished home. The build reportedly took close to four years, with the actress

consulting several architects before settling on a design.

The house carries deep personal meaning for her. While speaking to media earlier, she said that the idea struck her spontaneously around four years before its completion, when she told her parents she wanted to build a small house in Manali. She has said the decision was tied to a nearby temple linked to the legend of Kartikeya's mahasamadhi in the Himalayas, which is why the home is named Kartikeya Niwas. For Ranaut, the house was conceived less as a status symbol and more as a space of spiritual significance.

Sitting about 2,000 metres above sea level, the property is spread across about 7,600 square feet. Different reports put the bedroom count at either seven or eight, but they agree on the layout's signature feature: Every room opens out to a view of the surrounding mountains, and each one has its own step-out balcony. A rooftop glass conservatory was built specifically to let in sunlight during Manali's long winters.The home also includes a dining room positioned to capture mountain views, and a living room anchored by a fireplace to counter the cold months. Being a self-described fitness enthusiast, Ranaut had a dedicated gymnasium built into the house, along with a separate yoga room finished with hardwood floors, a mirrored wall, and a vaulted concrete ceiling.

The interiors were designed by Shabnam Gupta, an interior designer known for working on homes of several well-known personalities in Mumbai. Architecturally, the entrance is styled to resemble a French colonial settlement, with grey cemented 3D doors and a dark-and-white finish that gives it a more contemporary edge despite the colonial cues. Natural stone slates line the driveway and entryway. Inside, the aesthetic leans vintage European: antique wood panelling in the hallway, Jaipur rugs, a chequered armchair, a cast-iron table, and birdcage-style lighting near the entrance, set against a recurring peacock motif. Old handloom textiles and local Himachali handicrafts have also been worked into the décor, tying the European-inspired structure back to its mountain roots.

Though her work keeps her based largely in Mumbai, Ranaut has spoken about returning to the Manali house regularly, including during extended stretches of the pandemic, treating it as the retreat it was originally built to be.