Mandawa (Rajasthan), March 1 (IANS) Golden yellow mustard fields, long winding roads, shimmering stars and a gentle wind whistling in the ears - that was the first impression that Mandawa cast on me once I left the hustle-bustle of metropolitan Delhi for an alluring charm of the small village of Rajasthan.
Though Mandawa is well-connected by road from Delhi, it's quite a bumpy ride of eight hours. But there's no gain without pain, and you know it once you meander your way to hotel Sara Vilas.
There are two ways to reach the hotel - one through a village and one through a long stretch of about 17 km with just open fields around you. By chance, I landed on the latter route, which was nothing less than eerie.
Once you reach the ostentatious gate of the hotel, it's like you're teleported to a different era. It's almost like having entered a time machine.
The ambience of the haveli-style hotel, with its 62 vilas (yes, a room is called a vilas at Sara Vilas) and three mini-suites, will leave you entranced and enchanted.
Started in 2007 under Khatri Hotels group, the destination promises an authentic experience of Rajasthan's history. And with elephant statues, big wooden doors, fresco paintings, brass pots, drums, antique motorcycles and many other artifacts of the bygone era - it delivers it.
"We have intentionally recreated the ambience with decorative fountains and pavilions to give it an authentic look. Guests come with a mindset that they will get a taste of rural life, so we strive to live up to their expectations," Mahesh Kuntal, general manager of the hotel, told IANS.
Kuntal also mentioned that since Mandawa is being overshadowed by other popular tourist spots in Rajasthan, they want the village to come into limelight so that it attracts more business.
Interiors of the rooms are also very colourful and display a variety of artifacts with large windows that allow ample amount of sunlight in the rooms.
Even if you are not a morning person, watching the sunrise with chirping of birds while breathing clean air and while sipping on a hot cup of tea is a treat.
You can also relax in the lush green lawn, take a dip in the swimming pool, indulge in some recreational activities like pool table or satiate your foodie spirit by savouring Rajasthani delicacies at the restaurant.
The restaurant offers an array of local delicacies like laal maas and gatte ki sabzi along with Indian food and a wide range of liquor as well.
Too tired to do anything? Calm your senses with an Ayurvedic massage at the in-house Get a whiff of spa or just stay inside the room, the decor of which is marked by furniture and paintings, exuding an old-world charm, and adding to the vibrancy of the place.
Though there are drawbacks like technology and security issues, Kuntal notes that they are planning to overcome all the hurdles to provide the best to their guests.
"We are planning to add more rooms. The lack of technology is a big drawback here. So we are also planning to provide Wi-Fi in every room and upgrade our TVs, as well as build more fortified boundaries," he added.
The place calls for a small visit for sure!
FAQS
* How to reach: By road - Mandawa is well connected with roads and it is 270 km from New Delhi by air - the nearest charter airport is Jhunjhunu. Jaipur is the nearest airport for regular flights. By rail Jhunjhunu is the nearest convenient railhead and one can take trains for Sikar, Jaipur, and Delhi from Jhunjhunu.
* Tarrif- Rs 10,000/- for two-day stay with breakfast (lunch and dinner)
(The writer travelled to Mandawa on an invitation from Sara Vilas. Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)
FIR on the brother of Pt. Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham: fired in the air with a knife at the wedding; There was also a fight, and the procession returned in fear
Police have registered an FIR against Sourav Garg alias Shaligram, brother of Peethadhishwar Pt. Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham. Two days ago, a video of Shaligram went viral on Facebook, in
Is the government so helpless in front of TV news channels?
India's Attorney General KK Venugopal has expressed concern about the 'media trial'. In the Supreme Court on Tuesday, he said that the media's comments on many pending cases are like contempt of
Simi Grewal trolled for defending Abhishek Bachchan amid news of divorce from Aishwarya, deleted the post.
Abhishek Bachchan is in the headlines these days for his personal life. If reports are to be believed, Abhishek is having an affair with Dasvi co-star Nimrat Kaur and he is going to separate from
Havoc: In the largest hospital in Chhattisgarh, the corpses of corona patients lying there, will tremble after seeing the picture.
Corona continues to wreak havoc in the country. More than one and a half million corona patients are being found every day in the country. The death toll also continues to increase. Meanwhile, a
After Jyoti Malhotra, another YouTuber arrested in Punjab on charges of espionage, used to give intelligence information to Pakistan
Punjab Police has arrested another Pakistani spy in the second major action in the last 24 hours. The accused is a YouTuber. Giving information on the arrest, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the
Petrol Diesel Price: Oil companies have released the prices of petrol and diesel, know how much are the prices in your city
Oil companies have released the prices of petrol and diesel for today. Today companies have not made any change in oil prices. Recently, the government announced to reduce the prices of petrol and
CBIC: CBIC doubles the fine, and also amended the arrest and bail rules
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has amended the Prosecution, Arrest, and Bail Rules for offenses under the Customs Act. Under this, the fine has been doubled. Under the new
China: China is underreporting the number of deaths due to the COVID-19 epidemic: WHO
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that although China is providing more information on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still grossly underreporting the number of deaths.
Russia should not fall prey to starvation due to Putin's whims; Food products prices hiked by 45%, long queues at ATMs
Not only the people of Ukraine, but the Russian people are also paying the price for the war between Russia and Ukraine. Even though there are no ammunition attacks in Russia, inflation has broken the
Tamil Nadu leaders condole death of Lee Kuan Yew
Chennai, March 23 (IANS) DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Monday mourned the death of Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, saying it was because of Lee that Tamil was one of the city
