Go to the hills!!! Neemrana Ramgarh Bunglows!

Neemrana Ramgarh Bungalows, is a hidden treasure in the hills. If what you are looking for is a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday, this is the property to visit. This was our second visit to the Ramgarh bungalows and we are convinced that this should be our annual pilgrimage during the summers. The unique thing about all Neemrana properties which we absolutely love is the truth in advertising - 'a non-hotel hotel'. For those who have never experienced what this means, let me explain. It means to expect a home away from home that may not offer luxury, but lots of comfort, care and pampering. The Ramgarh bungalows offer a variety of accommodation choices - the old bungalow where you are close to the butterflies and flowers, the Ashok Vatika with its beautiful fruit orchards, the Writers bungalow where you can be a part of the history and the cliff house with its amazing view of the magnificent hills. For more details, visit http://the-ramgarh-bungalows.neemranahotels.com/

 

Each room is beautiful in its own way, but our favourite is the Cliff House. Perched on a cliff, you can watch the mountains for ever and forget all about the world and your worries. With only two rooms on the first floor and a large common space on the ground floor, it is very spacious. If you are lucky (which we have been the two times we have stayed here), you will be the only one staying at the house, giving you the feeling that you own it :)). The rooms have no telephone or TV, but the staff can be called by ringing a bell. The common area does have a phone to talk to the reception. You can request to have your meals and tea anywhere at the property - under the sky, below the trees, or in the designated dining space. If you pick the red room - named ‘Ramkumar’ at the Cliff House, feel blessed as you wake up to the first rays of the rising sun and sleep after looking at the stars in a clear sky. All you will hear is the chirping of birds, a dog barking or cow mooing occasionally miles and miles away and very very rarely a car passing by. All you will see is the hills, the trees, the birds playing, the butterflies, flowers and fruits on trees!! What more do you want? For physical activity, go for your main meals to the other end of the property –so if you are staying at Cliff House, have your meals at the Old bungalow!!

This time, we also met with Dr Arun Sethi and his team from the Arundodya Desert Eye Hospital (Sector 55, Gurgaon) who had set up a two day eye camp in the area supported by Neemrana. The camp saw hundreds of people coming and getting their eyes tested, glasses given and prescriptions given for whatever was required. We chatted with the patients and were amazed by the commendable job being done at the camp. 

We ran into an old lady who we spoke with at the camp as we were taking a stroll in the evening. She complained that everyone took her pictures but no one ever sent it to her. We promised to change that and have dispatched pictures of her and her lovely lambs to the property manager to be handed over to her. Her name is Basanti Devi and she does not know her age, and only has her playful lambs for company. If you run into her when you visit this wonderful property, please say our hello to her :) 

 

The staff at the property is extremely courteous and helpful - like all other Neemrana non hotel hotels. If you want or need something, ask for it and in all likelihood your wish will be fulfilled. Do not expect them to be lingering around you like luxury hotels, but expect a lot of care and respect.

 

Memories from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

If you think Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh is an unassuming city with nothing much to see except the Gwalior Fort, think again!

Big time Neemrana hotels (http://neemranahotels.com) fan, we decided to explore yet another of their properties for a short break from Delhi – the 17^thC Deo Bagh palace in Gwalior. We arrived in Gwalior at 3am in the morning thanks to Indian Railways and the hotel staff was more worried about our safe travel than our families. The Front Desk managed by Gaurav and Narain was in constant touch with us through our train journey and we were greeted by smiling faces who wanted to ensure that we get to our rooms soonest. The weather was kind and we were treated to two wonderful days of bright sun despite it being the last week of December. This Neemrana property boasts of heritage sites within the property including a Baradari (a building or pavilion with 12 doors designed to allow free flow of air) and temples. Rooms are palatial (as compared to many other Neemrana Fort properties) and all rooms open into a huge garden – which is wonderful to laze around and play.  

 

 

The Gwalior Fort is not as grand as those in Rajasthan and Agra, but its unique design and architecture leaves you wanting for more. The Fort is situated on top of a hill and since the road is narrow, uphill and downhill traffic is managed by people sitting at the two ends of the road connected through a telephone. It is advisable to take a guide if you want to know some interesting facts about the Fort and its history. The entry ticket to the Fort also gives entry to two other sites in proximity to the Fort: the Sas-Bahu ka mandir (or Sahastrabahu Temple) and Teli ka Mandir. Both are wonderful and should not be missed. The Light and Sound Show at the Fort in the evenings is a must watch too.  

 

 

 

The Jai Vilas Palace has been converted into a museum and is known for its unique architecture which is a mix of Italian, Tuscan and Corinithian. The Museum exhibits a collection of antiques belonging to the Scindia reign which were originally from Italy, France, and Versailles. Two Belgian chandeliers weighing several tonnes are said to be the largest pair in the world.  The dining room displays a model railway with a silver train that carried after-dinner brandy and cigars around the table in crystal coaches. The interesting fact is that the palace and the Belgian chandeliers are lighted up in the last week of December and are open to the public (check exact dates before planning a visit) – best time to go is in the evening to truly enjoy the beauty of the Palace in the lights. Take a Baggi ride as well and you are all set for your royal extravaganza. The tickets are easily available at the venue from 5pm, though entry is allowed only at 6 – unless you can argue with the guards that you are not going to stand out in the cold for one hour and find your way to a small cafeteria inside the premises J.

There is also a Sun temple built on the lines of the Konark Sun Temple – interesting but can be skipped if you are running short on time.

The details about the three things listed above are easily available on any search you will do on Gwalior. What is not available is information about two stunning heritage sites – Mitavli and Padhavli (or Padhawli). These are situated close to each other and approximately 45 minutes by road from Gwalior (unless your driver like ours had never been there and therefore decides to take a route through villages and sand stone mining sites!). These are 9^th and 10^th C temple ruins that are breathtakingly beautiful and a MUST VISIT. Thanks to our hotel for recommending this to us. These has been lying hidden/ forgotten since ages, so very less information is available about this place. The structure of the Indian Parliament house (Sansad Bhawan) has an uncanny resemblance to the Mitavli temple and looks like hugely inspired from the architecture of this temple. If you go to Gwalior but not visit these places, you would have missed something stunning.

The city does not boast of great local food, so better to be safe and stick to the hotel but if you end upto steeping out, the options are very limited (do not go anywhere but the Kwality Restaurant).  If you have a sweet tooth, indulge in Bahadura ke laddo and some local Gajjak.  Mrignayni, the state emporium is a good place to shop for textile and artifacts.

While I had been to Gwalior as a kid, I had no memories of it and the driving factor behind planning this trip was the Neemrana Deo Bagh Palace which I wanted to stay in and have a relaxing holiday. We actually realized that there is so much more to see around Gwalior that we need to come back! Let’s see when that happens. So, go to Gwalior, stay at Deo Bagh, visit the Fort, Jai Vilas Palace, Mitavli and Padhavli….and have a lovely holiday!

 

 

Neemrana Fort-Palace, February 2011

Neemrana properties never fail to impress us, however short the trip may be. After weeks of travel for work, we decided to take a weekend break at one of the most known destinations of the NCR – The Neemrana Fort-Palace. A two hour drive from Gurgaon is pleasant and is expected to become even better in some time with the lane up-gradation currently in progress. A short stop at one of the road side dhaaba is a must for those who enjoy the traditional Indian breakfast of stuffed paranthaas!! For me, this is one the incentives to travel by roadJ

The final approach to the Fort is through narrow lanes with houses and shops on both sides and one does not expect such a magnificent structure at the end. The Fort was in ruins when it was taken over the Neemrana Hotels for redevelopment and restoration- so do not miss the photographs put at various places in the Fort of its condition some 25 years ago. The Spa and the pool (particularly the one at upper level) are worth spending time in, and the food is awesome! While lots of people go there for a day trip, the highlight for us was to spend a night there. The Fort looks beautiful in the evening when it is all lighted up – a sight so beautiful that I wanted to spend the night under the open sky looking at it and imagining what it would have been when the royals lived there – it would have been so vivacious and grandiose.

The evening was also very beautiful, with tea served at the terrace with the sunset for company.
The staff as in all Neemrana properties is extremely nice and courteous. Since we wanted a peaceful break, we did not go in for zipping and saved it for the next time (hopefully very soon)!!!!!!!

Read this in an in-flight magazine some days ago......truly inspiring.....

“When you are working for change, you should build into that expectation the possibility that the change might not happen in your lifetime. But you must have the conviction that if you carry on working with dedication then the change is bound to occur – even if it happens after you.”
Kaifi Azmi

Zouth Yindia!!! Part I (Tirupati and Chennai)

A trip down south in June – when most people go to the hills, we went to the hot and humid south- Tirupati, Chennai and Pondicherry (Puducherry). It was also a trip down memory lane as trips to Chennai and Tirupati were our yearly family vacation. They remain a feature of the annual travel plans of my parents; though me and my siblings like to go back as and when possible.

We first went to Lord Venkateswara’s temple (http://www.tirumala.org/) - a famous Hindu temple located in the hill town Tirumala, near Tirupati in Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on Venkatadri, one of the seven hills of Tirumala, and hence is also known as the Temple of Seven Hills (Saptagiri in Sanskrit). The temple is reportedly the richest and the most visited place of worship in the world and is visited by about 50000-100000 pilgrims every day.

While there are several legends in the history of this temple, the most famous is that Lord Vishnu decided to get married to Padmavathi - while his first wife – Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of fortune) had come down to live on earth following a spat with him. The Lord wandered on earth in her search and reached these hills . Here he met Padmavathi - an incarnation of Bhoodevi and a princess of Narayanapuram, whom he had promised to marry in Rama Avatar. As it was a royal wedding, he needed huge funds, which he borrowed from Kubera - the celestial cashier, who insisted on repayment with interest. While Goddess Lakshmi, understanding his commitments chose to live in his heart forever, the loan is yet to be paid back. The money donated by the devotees at this temple is said to be just sufficient to repay the interest portion. Apart for offering money, gold and jewellery, several devotees also offer their hair at the temple – which I am told is used for making wigs and is worth million of rupees year (http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/06/on-human-hair-tonsured-at-tirumala.html )!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, the temple was extremely crowded even though it a week day in the middle of the summer season. The only accommodation available in Tirumala (Upper Tirupati) is in the guest houses maintained by the TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam) Trust and it is not an easy task to get one – so if you plan to go, please book it online well in advance. The area could do with more signage and general help, especially for people who cannot speak the local language. This is not to say, that there is no signage in our national language – Hindi - the most prominent one being at the counter where rooms are allotted:

Those who can read Hindi will understand (or maybe not!!) what the above sign is all about – it’s a pity and a huge disappointment to see that a simple notice could not be written properly that too in our national language.
But then, the other and a more positive way to look at this is that someone atleast tried to put a note for the benefit of devotees from north India. I guess my limited point is that any language should be respected and the least one can do is to write it correctly.

Chennai was the next destination – with a stop over en-route (at Srikalahasti) to meet wood carving artisans . Some of the most famous carvings are those of Lord Ganesha and Krishna. A 3-feet statue takes almost 3-4 months to be completed. Thanks to my husband who loves to meet and interact with the craftsmen and artisans directly; I cherish some of such en-route diversions!

Chennai was all about eating, shopping and sweating!!!......

We especially relished the Thanjavur banana leaf meal (hot food is served on a banana leaf and after the meal, banana leaf becomes food for cows).


So far, no trip to Chennai has ever been complete without a visit to the Marina beach – one of the longest beaches in the world –though given the rubbish scattered all over, I doubt if I will go there next time – which would be a pity….my family has spent several evenings on that beach – enjoying the waves and the food (raw mango, sugarcane, peanuts, popcorn, paani-poori and what not!). So, whether I go there again or not, it will always be ‘special’.

A must visit in Chennai are the stainless steel utensil stores – we went to the famous Rathna Store in Pondy Bazaar – it is a unique experience …..once you enter the shop you realize that not even a square inch is wasted and a huge maze of stainless steel utensils piled up from floor to roof and hung from the ceiling!!

See Part II for final destination!

Zouth Yindia! Part II (Pondicherry and Auroville)

The final destination was Pondicherry – with a few hours stop at Mahabalipuram (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabalipuram) – meeting the traditional stone carvers. These artisans are frequently commissioned to create sculptures for temples, residences and other places around the world. It is a delight to see the carvers working diligently to convert a block of stone into a beautiful sculpture.

In Pondicherry, we stayed at yet another Neemrana property - Hotel De L’Orient (www.neemranahotels.com/pondi/index.html.htm) - a restored French education institution. Of all the Neemrana properties we have stayed at so far, this one scores the highest on maintenance – the staff as in other properties is very courteous and helpful. The hotel is conveniently located parallel to the Beach Road and the Aurobindo Ashram( http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org)/ is round the corner. Part of the larger Ashram activities, locals are taught various craft such as making hand made paper, candles and a unique “marble pattern on paper and textile”. The departments are located in the vicinity of the Ashram and are successfully producing various products that are available for purchase.

Most streets in the vicinity of the Ashram still have French names and it is a task to find your way around even with a map, as it is difficult to communicate in the French language….…btw, are we still colonised??

For those who love ice creams – Le Soleil on the Beach Road is a must-must go….(and I do know many who would freak out at this place)- they serve two basic ice cream flavors (vanilla and chocolate) and give an option of around 50 toppings …the ice cream was the creamiest that I have ever had!! And imagine a road side Pizzeria that bakes freshly stretched base pizzas in a wood fired oven!

Another landmark of Pondicherry is the Golden Bridge Pottery (http://www.raymeeker.com/history.html ). Several students of this institute have set up independent studios and production units for hand-made studio pottery in Pondicherry and other parts of India.

We also visited Auroville (http://www.auroville.org/) – an experiment of community living - conceived in the 1930s but implemented in late 1960s. It is peaceful and beautiful….and we got to know that it has tax exemption, i.e., members of the Auroville commune are not required to pay income tax, instead are expected to voluntarily contribute to the Auroville Foundation.

All and all – a wonderful trip…..!

Snow white......!! (Washington DC, USA, Jan/Feb 2010)

A 3-week long official trip to Washington DC and California was in any case not a very exciting proposition for me because I was not getting to see any new place, which essentially meant no new masala for this blog (imagine – travelling around 15000 km and not getting to see even a new single place!! L). The driving factors that kept my excitement level high were two: a) meeting new people as I was going to the HQ of my new workplace for the first time, and (b) meeting up friends in DC and New York/New Jersey area.

The first two weeks in DC were great – all the way from the airport to the hotel, we could see snow piled on road side (remnants of a snow storm that came in December 2009)….how was I to know that I was see more snow on this trip than I have seen in my whole life! On the weekend before I was to fly out to California, all my plans to shop were ‘snowed-in’ – but it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life – waking up to snowfall (thanks to this lovely friend who made sure that I got up when it started snowing J). I had seen snow earlier- but never experienced a snow fall – it is so difficult to describe how it feels when the snow falls on you – light, fluffy like a feather touching you!! A poet has rightly described it as: “The snowfall is so silent, so slow, bit by bit, with delicacy it settles down on the earth and covers over the fields. ………………………….. Snow, delicate snow, that falls with such lightness on the head, on the feelings, come and cover over the sadness that lies always in my reason” (Miguel de Unamuno, translated by Robert Bly).

But how was I to know that this snow which had me captivated that day will become a bone of contention after four days when one of the worst snow storms would hit DC and disrupt life all over the mid-Atlantic region (for more details, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35237043/ns/weather/).I can only thank God that we were stuck on the other coast (in beautiful San Francisco) as the airport in DC was closed (we had to come back to DC and then fly out to India – …..hey - did you just ask why???. Well – that’s another story – one which cannot be made public on this blog!). Spending hours every day on the phone trying to re-book air tickets (every day the flight would be cancelled and we will start the process of getting connected to some BPO in India/Philippines or the likes to get us on the next flight. It wasn’t as easy as it may seem now – it meant being on the phone for atleast one hour before you could talk to an agent (my conclusion as that customer service in India is better!) – only to be told that no seats are available!.....Finally, we did manage to reach DC and leave for India via NY ……wait- picture abhi baak hai – the flight had a technical snag delaying us for about 4 hours at NY airport – a few more hours and we would have been stuck in NY for 2-3 days as the storm hit NY that night and all flights in and out of NY were cancelled!.......But “mera bharat mahaan” (I was on Air India) – and when they could n to correct the fault through the computer – they did it manually!!

This post has not given you details of what to see in DC – for that I need to dig into my notes of 2007 – and I will do it soon!!...

Watch this pace for “must do” in SFO – coming sooooon!!