This page from top:
The resort fea-
tures stunning
experiences like the
Sunset Pool;
the Palace Suite;
Eastern collect-
ables; and early
morning yoga
practice.
Opposite page:
Sheesh Mahal is a
one-of-a-kind
dining occasion.
rrivingat thisconvertedpalace
hotel,nestled in theAravalli
hills, I’mstruckby thestillness
of thesurroundings.A lineof
mountainpeaksdominates the
landscape,withdensevegetation
andquietcountrysidespreading
out from theirbase.The18th-
century fort-palacerisesamid
thisserenebackdrop, allowing fordramaticvistas that
seemalmost framedandfleetingglimpsesofvillage life.
Iwanderabout thepalace’ssuccessionof courtyards,
gardens, and terraces, oneboundless, sun-drenchedspace
leading to thenext.Playingalongasmaharajaandqueen
isnotonly tempting; it’s thesensible thing todo, Ideduce.
Awoodenswing invitesme topause; theplayof lightand
color in theSheeshMahal, ahallofmirrorsand faded fres-
coes, encouragesrumination.
Thepalace’s tranquility is interruptedonlybybirdsong
— I listenandwatch forparakeets,kingfishers, andegrets
hangingaround thebushesof red frangipaniand jasmine.
As for the39guest rooms,whitemarblespans interiors
likeablankcanvasonwhichbrilliantsplashesof color
erupt in the formofpotsoffloatingmarigoldsoremerald
greenaccents.
Elegant
jharokhas
, orsittingnooks,make theactof
lingering—overacupof tea, abook— feelmandatory.
Guestsaresurroundedbysubtlenods to theunhurried
palacepace. It’shard to imagine that suchaplacecould
everhavebeen fallingapart.But that’showDeviResorts’
AnupamPoddarandhismother, Lekha, found it.
Restoringand renovating thecrumblingpalacebe-
camea laborof love, apainstakingproject that spanned
overadecade.When it reopenedasaheritagehotel in
2000,DeviGarh’sdesignaesthetic—Rajputpalaceexteri-
or,minimalist-contemporary interior—washeraldedas
bothboldandseamless. Indeed, the idea is thatpastand
presentmeetandminglehere.
Evenonmyplate.Dishessuchascumin-cornsoupand
gratedwhitepumpkinkoftaaresurprisingand inventive,
withoutgivingup thatsenseofplace.Regional specialties
suchaskaersangri, berriescooked inbuttermilkwithco-
riander, andmissi roti, an Indianflatbreadmadewith
wholewheatandgramflours, arepreparedwithequal so-
phistication.
Afterdinner, Imoveon to thegorgeousverandabar,
awash inrich, brocade textiles—astunningsetting forsip-
pingchampagneandgazingoutonto themoonlit land-
scape.The twinklingof lights in thedistancecouldbe
mistaken forstars— if they’d fallen from thesky, that is.
It’s thiskindofmagic thatDeviGarhdelivers:natural
splendorandhistorywithin the trappingsof luxury.
Suitesstartat$400. 011-91-2953-289-211,deviresorts.in
—
TanviChheda
Devi Garh
Rajasthan, India
PHOTOSCOURTESYDEVIGARH
WINTER 2011
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