One of the highlights of our travel was to experience the luxury and comfort of 4 exquisitely decorated Heritage Hotels, which were either old Forts or former Maharaja's palaces, mostly still owned and administered by the same families even though there status may have changed.
Three of these, Jojowar, Benswara and Chandelau are situated right in the middle of the village which would have operated on a feudal system years ago. The owners were all delighted to show us their villages and to go off on jeep safaris to other nearby villages so that e could really get a taste of the simple village life.
Jojawer we have mentioned already with the jeep safari and train ride to see lots of peacocks and monkeys and then to have hamper tea on the way back to the village so the setting sun could be enjoyed. It was at Jojawar that we were welcomed with fresh mango juice and rose petals and enjoyed the ambience of the courtyards inside. Incredibly the floors, stairs and wall were all of marble and an infinity pool all lit up at night really set the scene.
This was also where I had the henna design created on my hand (nearly faded now). The dawn was very atmospheric, with the Muezzin call to prayer as the sun emerged on the horizon. This was followed by a quick walk through the village before breakfast where we spotted children collecting milk in containers, barbers opening their shops for business virtually on the footpath and sewing machines already at work. Sweet concoctions with silver leaf decoration were everywhere. Back to our breakfast of tropical fruits and masala omelette (basically with spicy veg and very tasty), followed by chai masala which we really enjoyed three times a day and have returned with the correct spices to let you sample this refreshing drink!
Our next stop on the Maharajah trail was ranakpur retreat which was near the largest Jain temple in India audits amazing 1444 carved pillars!
This peaceful retreat had beautiful rooms with lots of colored glass and exotic drapes and a magnificent pool in the huge lush garden. A nearby lake was a haven for birds at sawn and a local bangle maker demonstrated his craft.
Benswara was a real castle and even had a zenana area (originally for the concubines)......i can assure you no concubines when we stayed.
This time another traditional welcome with woven cotton necklaces for all and a traditional blessing as we entered the courtyard and its magnificent buildings. This was posh and the family had a tradition of boarding school near Pushkar for their family. However the daughter was learning Hotel Management post school so looked after the day to day in her Canterbury Rugby top while her mother glided around charmingly in her colorful safari. Mr. Singh the master took upon another jeep safari to nearby villages which was great fun. he also showed us his amazing vintage car collection.
A leopard spotting safari at sundown produced no sightings but lots of antelope and brightly turbaned shepherds returning to the village with their goats. Instead we enjoyed cocktails in a magical location with a jeep producing a cocktail cabinet in a leather case!
Chandelao was our last Heritage bit of luxury and we were not disappointed. The owner was away but his charming mother supervised the cooking for us and gave us a cooking demonstration. (We all voted this the best food of the whole trip).
Nephews were there to take care of us and manage the jeep safaris. This is also a village where the owners of Chandelao have set up a co-operative in the village to empower women with jobs and skills enhancement. Of course we all bought some of their handwork and they were all quite delightful.
The full name of the hotel was Chandelao Garh (Garh being a fort) and you will see from the photos how magnificent the buildings were amidst a beautiful garden with pomegranate trees. There was a wonderful rooftop terrace for dining and it gave us a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.
An amusing story emerged in that the entrance archway was enlarged in the early 1900's because the then owner wanted to arrive on his elephant sitting atop a Howdah for his wedding and only a larger archway could accommodate the elephant and his regalia!
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